Thelife-cycleofabutterfly(andmothforthatmatter)isaremarkableseriesofchangesbetweenseeminglyverydifferentformsculminatingintheemergenceofabutterfly.Throughoutnaturetherearefantasticandfascinatingoccurrencesofmanykinds.Themetamorphosisofaneggtoabutterflyisjustoneofthosewonders.Thestorystartswithapairofbutterfliesmating.Thisenablesthefemaleseggstobefertilised.Likemanyotherspeciesinnaturethereisoftenacourtshiproutineprecedingtheactualmating.Somebutterfliesflyinspirals,sometimesthefemalelieswithherwingsinacertainposition.Thepurposeofanycourtshiproutine(humansincluded!)istodiscoverthesuitabilityofthepotentialmate.Partofthisprocessistodiscoverifthefemaleisalreadyfertilised(pregnantmightbeahumanparallel),thefemalecanreleaseapheromone(chemical)whichwillshowherunavailability,orjustnotfollowtheusualmatingroutine.Onceitisestablishedthatthepairingissuitablematingtakesplace.Seethepictureleftforatypicalexample.Thebutterfliesstaycoupledforaperiodoftime.Sometimesashorttimesometimeslonger.Itisnotunusualforthepairtoflywhilestillcoupled.Oncematedaprocessoccurswhichresultsinthefertilisationofthefemaleseggs.Thensheisreadytolayeggs.