Summary
Highlights
The newly emerged butterfly pumps fluids into its wings to expand and strengthen them. After a few hours, the wings become strong enough for the butterfly to fly.
The entire series of transformations a butterfly undergoes from egg to adult is known as metamorphosis.
Once the caterpillar reaches its full size, it stops eating and forms a protective layer around itself called a chrysalis. Inside this chrysalis, the caterpillar is now referred to as a pupa and remains motionless.
After approximately 15 days, the pupa undergoes significant changes within the chrysalis. A beautiful adult butterfly emerges from the chrysalis with small, wet wings.
A butterfly begins its life by laying eggs, typically on the leaves of a plant.
The eggs hatch into young larvae, commonly known as caterpillars. Initially, the caterpillar eats its own eggshell before moving on to plant leaves for nourishment and growth.
The caterpillar eats continuously and grows by shedding its skin multiple times, a process necessary for its expanding size.