There are four stages in the life cycle of the Painted Lady Butterfly.

1. Egg (3-6 days)
Female butterflies lay their eggs on plants that Painted Lady caterpillars like to eat, like thistle or hollyhock. The eggs are the size of a pin head, each one containing a caterpillar beginning to grow.

2. Larva or Caterpillar (7-12 days)
The hungry caterpillar uses its strong jaws to eat leaves and grows quickly. As it grows, the caterpillar’s skin or exoskeleton gets tighter. A caterpillar sheds its skin four times before it’s fully grown.

3. Pupa or Chrysalis (7-10 days)
With a silk thread that comes out of a spinneret just below its mouth, the caterpillar spins a silk pad, attaches its abdomen, and hangs from this pad. Soon, the caterpillars’ skin splits open, from head to abdomen, revealing a dull, brownish case underneath — the pupa or chrysalis.

What happens inside the chrysalis? Inside the larva becomes completely liquid and reforms itself into a butterfly. The butterfly pushes from inside until the case splits open, and it slowly struggles out.

4. Butterfly or Adult (7-14 days)
When the butterfly first emerges from the chrysalis, its wings are soft and crumpled. The butterfly rests, and then slowly pumps fluid into its its wings. 

After a few hours, the butterfly will be ready to fly. The Painted Lady Butterfly has a 7-14 day life span. During that time, its main goal is to reproduce and lay eggs so the cycle can begin again!