Insect field note
Wrapped in wonder
The Butterfly's Quiet Change
A crawling caterpillar can wrap itself in a quiet little case and later emerge as an entirely new creature: a butterfly.
Let's look closer
Wonder traits
- Animal group
- Insect
- Diet
- Nectar sipper
- Habitat
- ForestGrasslandCity & garden
- Awake when
- Daytime
- Size
- Fits in a hand
Let's look closer
What happens inside that hidden case?
nside its chrysalis, much of a caterpillar's body breaks down into a kind of living soup, while special clusters of cells that were tucked away all along begin rapidly growing into wings, legs, and antennae. After days or weeks of this quiet, hidden transformation, called metamorphosis, the chrysalis finally splits open to reveal a butterfly. At first its new wings are damp and crumpled, so it must pump fluid into them and wait for them to dry and stiffen before it can finally unfold them and fly.
Look for this
Explorer clue
Search under leaves and along stems for a small, still chrysalis. If you're patient and gentle, you might get to watch a butterfly emerge.
Your turn to wonder
Curiosity question
If you could quietly transform into something new, what would you want to become?
Keep wandering
