Blue Morpho Drying Wings

After a caterpillar eats and eats and eats... he will create his chrysalis. His body turns in to a mushy liquid... somehow this turns in to a beautiful butterfly.

MPG Movie - Out of Chrysalis

When the butterfly comes out of the chrysalis... it must let the left over liquid drop off the wings and it's body. It hangs as the wings dry out. As it hangs... the wings unfold.

...and unfold...

Once unfolded... the butterfly will now stand upright... and the wings will still continue to dry. When they are fully dried... the butterfly will begin his flight.

The butterly only lives about 2 weeks... in which time, its prime reason for life is to lay eggs.