Caterpillar vs Butterfly: What Happens to the Itchy Hairs?

Butterflies do come from caterpillars. The process of transformation from a caterpillar to 

a butterfly is called metamorphosis. During metamorphosis, the caterpillar goes through several stages: egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (chrysalis), and finally, adult butterfly.

The tiny hairs or spines on caterpillars that can cause itching or irritation on human skin are mostly present during the larval stage. When the caterpillar enters the pupal stage (chrysalis), its body undergoes a dramatic transformation. The cells in the caterpillar's body break down and reorganize to form the new body of the butterfly.

The itchy hairs or spines from the caterpillar disappear during this process. These hairs are no longer needed because the adult butterfly has a completely different body structure, with wings and a smooth body. So, those irritating hairs are gone by the time the caterpillar has transformed into a butterfly.

Once it emerges from the chrysalis, the adult butterfly has a sleek body covered in tiny scales on its wings, which are entirely different from the itchy hairs of its caterpillar stage.