Butterflies hatch from a chrysalis, a life stage made of a hardened protein. A cocoon is spun from silk and surrounds the pupa of many moths.

What does a butterfly hatch from?

The female butterfly lays an egg and the larva or caterpillar hatches out of the egg within two to three days. The newly hatched caterpillar eats its own egg and then eats leaves to get energy to grow. The caterpillar grows and moults many times, and after about three to four weeks it begins to pupate.

What is it called when a butterfly hatches from its cocoon?

The act of becoming a pupa is called pupation, and the act of emerging from the pupal case is called eclosion or emergence. The pupae of different groups of insects have different names such as chrysalis for the pupae of butterflies and tumbler for those of the mosquito family.