John Luff, BREAKING NEWS: Emerging Photographer Captures Emerging Butterfly! (ANIMAL 2025)

This series consists of three images: Image 1: Chrysalis (Pre-Emergent) Image 2: Eclosion (Emerging) Image 3: Butterfly (Post-Emergent) The series illustrates the latter stages of metamorphosis, from chrysalis (where the caterpillar transforms inside a 'shell' into a butterfly), to eclosion (when the butterfly begins to emerge from the chrysalis), to the emergence of the fully-formed, adult butterfly - in this case an Orchard swallowtail (Papilio aegeus). At first, I tried capturing the process of butterfly metamorphosis in nature, however predators or disease make that nearly impossible - only 1% of eggs survive and develop into an adult butterfly. Hand-raising the butterfly from an egg, through the five stages of caterpillar instars, to the formation of a chrysalis greatly increases their chances of survival. Similarly, increasing the number of pollinators in nature increases our survival. After about a month, capturing the precise moment when the butterfly emerges from the chrysalis - which only takes about 15 seconds - requires much patience and a little luck. [John Luff / JL Images]

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.