7. About 10 to 14 days later the butterfly will emerge from the chrysalis. Upon doing so the wings will be wet and small. The butterfly then pumps fluids through the wings to expand them. It also needs to get used to flying. A recently hatched butterfly is very vulnerable until its wings are ready and dry.
8. An adult butterfly eats nectar and reproduces to begin the life cycle anew. Relatively speaking, a butterfly has a short life span. Some species live only a few days. Others may live up to a year. This can make viewing a spectacularly hued butterfly in a spring garden even more poignant for the observer.
Adult butterflies looking for nectar will seek out plants in the sunlight; rarely do they feed in the shade. Plants should have red, yellow, orange, pink, or purple blossoms. Flat-topped or clustered flowers are preferred, as are short flower tubes that enable the butterfly's proboscis to fit in easily.
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