Butterflies go through an amazing transformation called metamorphosis, which means their bodies completely change form. This incredible journey has four distinct stages. It starts when an adult female butterfly carefully lays tiny eggs on a leaf, usually choosing a plant that caterpillars like to eat. After a few days or weeks, a small caterpillar hatches from the egg and immediately begins its job: eating! The caterpillar munches on leaves constantly, growing bigger and bigger.
As it grows, it sheds its tight skin several times. When the caterpillar is fully grown, it finds a safe spot and forms a hard shell called a chrysalis around itself. It hangs upside down and stays very still. Inside the chrysalis, something magical happens. The caterpillar's body actually breaks down into a soupy liquid, and then rebuilds itself into a completely different form.
After one to four weeks, depending on the type of butterfly, a beautiful adult butterfly breaks out of the chrysalis with wet, crumpled wings. The butterfly hangs on its old chrysalis and pumps special fluid from its body into its wings to make them expand and become strong. Once its wings dry and harden in the sun, the butterfly can fly away to find flowers, drink nectar, and eventually start the cycle all over again by laying eggs of its own.