Today, most people take the knowledge they possess about the life cycle of a butterfly for granted. However, this knowledge was once hidden, and scientists had no idea where butterflies came from. The following is an excerpt from the journal of Tajbelly Plink, an early butterflyoligist, and one of the first to observe a butterfly go through its entire life cycle.
*** For years the small, beautiful insects known as butterflies have amazed and baffled scientists all over the globe. They’re wonderful creatures, but where do they come from? Why has nobody been able to find a baby butterfly? Could they possibly be related to the humble caterpillar? Three years ago I ventured deep into the wilderness to uncover the answer to these questions myself. After long periods of careful observation of butterflies in their natural habitat, I was able to uncover the secrets that have so long been hidden. Now, I am ready to reveal the answers to these mysteries to the world, secrets that explain the life cycle of butterflies, secrets that date back to the beginning of the universe. When I first began on my journey into the wilderness, I knew my immediate task was to find a butterfly to observe. I was able to fulfill this task when I spotted a Monarch butterfly, one with bright orange wings. I followed it for a while, and then stopped as it lightly landed on a milkweed plant and began to lay small, delicate eggs. This was of the answers I sought, for I now knew that butterflies, or at least those of the Monarch variety, lay eggs. I watched the eggs for a few days, eagerly expecting never before seen baby butterflies to emerge. Imagine my surprise when the eggs finally hatched, and it was no butterfly that graced my eyes, but small caterpillars! The caterpillars promptly consumed the remnants of the eggs they had come out of, and set about eating the plant they had been born on. I sat back in shock for a moment. So it was true that caterpillars were related to butterflies in some way, as suspected by many natural scientists. But no one had ever considered this! It defied the laws of nature, that one species should give birth to another. Were the laws different than had always been thought? Or did this incredible phenomenon have some sort of undiscovered facet to it, one that I was not aware of and would allow it to comply to the natural edicts? If the former, where did butterflies come from? Did they just appear out of thin air? Or did caterpillars somehow birth them? And if the latter, what was this unknown attribute of the caterpillars, and what relation did it have to butterflies? I resolved to observe the caterpillars until I cracked open this mystery. So far, my journey had yielded few answers and many questions. I waited and observed the caterpillars for the next two weeks. During this time, they ate voraciously and grew immensely. Each one appeared to shed its skin several times as it grew, like a snake does. It left the old, cast-off skin behind and went on devouring the plant. When I awoke on the morning of the fourteenth day after the caterpillars emerged from the eggs, I saw that a few of the caterpillars were hanging upside down from a leaf in the shape of the letter J. Soon after the rest of the group followed suite. I watched in puzzlement for a day, wondering what could possibly be happening. This sort of behavior had never before been seen in an animal! It was so unexpected, I couldn’t possibly formulate a theory explaining the strange occurrence. I would just have to exercise patience if I wanted to uncover the caterpillar’s secret. The next day the caterpillars were gone. They were replaced by tough, green chrysalises hanging on the leaves. The chrysalises remained this way for ten days, after which some of them became transparent and I could a black and orange pattern of something inside. The pattern reminded me of the wing of the monarch which had laid the eggs. Could I finally be close to discovering the connection the caterpillar had to the butterfly? My question was answered the next day when the chrysalis burst open and a beautiful, orange adult monarch butterfly emerged. That was the answer to all my questions! In some miraculous way, the caterpillar transformed into a butterfly inside a chrysalis. The new butterfly’s wings seemed limp and damp at first, but after hanging upside down off the chrysalis for a few hours, they hardened enough to fly away. I stayed near the milkweed plant until all the other chrysalises had hatched and the butterflies emerged, then set off to see if I could observe another species of butterfly. I stayed in the wilderness for a few years, during which time I learned that all species of butterfly go through the same life cycle as the monarch. First, they are born as an egg, then hatch as a caterpillar, then they form a cocoon or chrysalis, and finally emerge as beautiful butterflies. I also learned that monarch butterflies cannot survive the cold winter months, so they journey south, similarly to birds or whales. However, each individual monarch only makes the trip south once. At the end of the journey, they have children and die. The next few generations of butterflies live and die in the south, until it grows warm again. Then, the great-grandchildren of the monarchs who made the original trip fly back north again. Now, the secrets of the butterflies, mysteries that scientists have been unable to solve for years, have been revealed. Now you know have read this, you know the role that caterpillars play in the life cycle of butterflies, as well as how they explain the mystery of the missing baby butterflies. However, this knowledge can be dangerous. Use it wisely. Spread it to other people, but only those that you know can be trusted. Actually, ignore the advice of the last few sentences. It makes no sense. Tell everyone you can about the life cycle of butterflies, because even if the most treacherous person in the world got ahold of it, he couldn’t use it to harm anyone. In fact, he might decide to observe the butterflies himself, and when he beholds their wonderful beauty, he might decide to cease his evil ways and turn his talents towards doing good. It’s certainly a long shot, but possible. So spread the word about the life cycle of butterflies!
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