The butterfly life cycle begins with an egg, which is laid by the female butterfly. The egg is typically small and it is often covered with a hard shell. The egg hatches after a few days or weeks, depending on the species of butterfly.
Egg
After a few days, the egg hatches into a caterpillar.
Caterpillar
The caterpillar grows larger with each molt and eats more food. The amount of feces also increases. The caterpillar grows larger and eventually becomes a pupa.
Pupa
The pupa does not change in shape or size, but the color changes slightly. After a while, the wing pattern becomes visible.
The newly emerged adult butterfly will stay still until its wing have spread.