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Did you know that the petal-like butterfly that you see floating from leaf to leaf came into creation about 130 million years ago? Well, not that actual exact butterfly, but its relatives spread their colorful wings as soon as flowering plants and trees evolved. Apparently, the butterfly evolved from a water-loving, night-flying insect called the caddisfly.

When the flowers began to take form on Earth, butterflies were there to help pollinate the blossoms which they depend upon for food. These delicate creatures are also close relatives of moths, but tend to be active during the day, whereas moths are night-flying insects.

Butterflies can be found almost everywhere on the planet, expect Antarctica and the vast seas. They are most colorful and diverse where the flowers are most tropical. In colder climes, their variations are less noteworthy, likely because they have fewer flowers from which to feed. But usually, you can find butterflies wherever flowers bloom and the sun shines.

In fact, these delicate creatures depend on the sun to keep them warm enough to survive. When the temperature begins to drop, butterflies will either hibernate or migrate to a warmer climate. Hibernation in this species is called diapause, and initiates a very slow metabolism in the creature. No matter what stage of development the butterfly is engaged in, diapause kicks in when the thermometer drops. If the insect is entering diapause as an egg or caterpillar, it will emit a chemical to keep it from freezing!

And what about those caterpillars, anyhow? Well, after the egg hatches, it enters a larval stage. This larva, or caterpillar, usually eats its egg—and everything else it can fit in its mouth! It eats and eats and sheds its skin while it continues growing. Then, when it has reached full size, the caterpillar will attach itself to a twig by spinning a button of silk from its mouth. Then, grabbing the button by its tail, the caterpillar will either spin a cocoon out of silk, or use its former skin to serve as a protective coating as it begins to undergo some very important changes.

For one, the caterpillar enters the pupa stage wherein its tissues and organs dissolve into a soupy liquid. They then reform into the vitals of what will become a butterfly. Hormones and cells called imaginal discs work to inform the mutating insect. Soon enough, the pupa finishes its metamorphosis, emerging with fragile wings to see a new life as a butterfly.

Butterflies have been used to illustrate the concept of rebirth and change for centuries. Their transformation and liberation from an earthbound creature into that of a winged beauty reminds us humans that freedom from limiting forms of existence can be achieved. Perhaps the next time you see a butterfly flitting between flowers, you will remember the long journey it took to get to its wings. Beautiful.