Ever seen a butterfly mate, lay eggs, and hatch? It’s something out of a fairytale, and I probably have 1000 caterpillars now. 🦋 From 11 caterpillars to hundreds of eggs: here's what actually happened. Painted ladies go through complete metamorphosis: egg → caterpillar → chrysalis → butterfly. But what most people don't show you is what happens after they hatch. Once they emerge, their wings are crumpled and they release a red liquid called meconium… it looks alarming, but my app let me know it