Ever wondered how such beautiful butterflies with large wings come out from that small, cramped space that is their cocoon looking so perfect and beautiful? Well, the answer is that they don't!
Upon completion of their transformation, a newly emerged adult butterfly is actually at it's most vulnerable....it's wings crumpled and wet like a shirt straight from the washing machine dropped on the floor. The first thing it will do as an adult is "inflate" it's wings with hemolymph (the insect version of blood) pumping them up to their full and beautiful size. This can take between 30 minutes to 2 hours depending upon the species.