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How does a butterfly's life cycle work?
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A butterfly's life cycle has four distinct stages — egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The egg is laid on a plant by the adult female butterfly and hatches into a caterpillar or larva. The larva will feed on the plants, grow quickly, and molt several times before it enters the pupa stage. Inside the pupa or chrysalis, the caterpillar turns into an adult butterfly. The adult butterfly, with its fully developed wings, breaks out of the chrysalis and begins its adult life. The adult butterfly then feeds on nectar from flowers, mates, and lays eggs to start the life cycle anew.