She did everything by the book. She sucked in a bit of air to puff herself up a little, in order to expand enough to break open her chrysalis. Once the chrysalis had split along its zip-like grooves running the length of the chrysalis, she slid gently out (backwards) with her wings still scrunched up tightly.
Take a look at this SLIDESHOW on Journey North, showing the process of emergence.
So here's our new girl...........
Click on each picture to see a larger view.....
When a butterfly emerges from its pupa (chrysalis), its proboscis is in two parts that must quickly be joined together. The newly emerged butterfly does this by rolling the proboscis in and out, in and out, until the process is complete.
The importance of doing this is so that the butterfly can feed. The fusing of the two halves creates a central canal. It is through this canal that the butterfly draws food into its digestive system. The two parts that fused are themselves complex. Inside each part that make up the sides of the central canal (the 'straw' part of the proboscis) are several components; nerves, muscles, and trachea.
Ref: Butterfly Fun Facts
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She stayed on the lower plants in the garden, for about 30 minutes then flew up into our Olive tree and hung about up there, taking in the warmth of the sun, for about an hour.
Butterflies need warmth in order to fly. If a monarch's body (thoracic) temperature is below 13° C (50° F) it cannot fly.