These breathtaking images show the lifecycle of a butterfly in stunning detail - from tiny caterpillar to beautiful winged adult emerging from a chrysalis. Keen photographer Sid Mosdell captured the incredible set of images over a painstakingly long period to make sure he had every single moment in the cycle. The set starts with a female Monarch butterfly depositing a tiny egg onto the underside of a milkweed plant. The next amazing step sees a new life begin as a 4mm caterpillar. Feasting on a selection of delicious green leaves, it grows and grows before shedding its skin to reveal striking black and yellow colours all over. Another caterpillar then spins a cushion of silk to prepare for pupation, which takes just minutes to shed its skin again and form a chrysalis. Then finally, a beautiful monarch butterfly dramatically emerges clinging on to the shell before its wings harden ready for its first flight. Snapper Sid Mosdell, 75, had to study a butterfly colony for two years to make sure he got every shot in the set, and described the process as one of the most beautiful processes he has ever seen. He said: "I watch them almost every day - it's an unbelievable sight. "All the pictures were taken in my back garden with the exception of the first egg shot which I took indoors with controlled artificial lighting. "Due to its tiny size it was certainly the most difficult image to capture. "Most of the shots I took I was really pleased with but nobody can monitor every caterpillar or chrysalis 24/7 - patience is a prerequisite." Retired Sid, from Picton, New Zealand, took the stunning shots while carefully monitoring the changing state of the creatures so not to miss a vital shot. He added: "Nature is full of beautiful and intriguing things and processes. "This complex process to produce such a magnificent and fragile adult butterfly is certainly one of the most beautiful I've ever seen."