Butterfly Stages
Every butterfly has four butterfly stages that make up its life cycle. These are the egg, larva/caterpillar, pupa/chrysalis, and adult butterfly stages. In each one of these stages the butterfly looks entirely different and has different needs in terms of food and environment.
The first of the butterfly stages begins with the female butterfly distributing her eggs. These eggs are placed on the underneath sides of plant leaves. Each species of butterfly usually has a favorite plant as that plant will become the first food for their young. Butterfly eggs are very tiny and some are not visible to the human eye. The egg itself is hard but it has a soft spot on one end through which the caterpillar pushes his way out.
There can be anywhere from 200 to 1500 eggs depending on the type of butterfly. Some eggs are laid one at a time and others are laid in clusters. The number of eggs depends largely on the butterfly’s source of nectar, which is ingested for energy and to keep the wings balanced with fluid. The eggs do not take long to hatch with a caterpillar usually emerging from the egg in a few days to a week.
The caterpillar or larval stage is the second of the butterfly stages. The caterpillar does not need to remain in the egg for long because he is teensy at birth. He grows to be 27,000 times his birth size by the time he is ready to enter the next stage of life. Caterpillars eat constantly, usually the leaves of their favorite plant. As the caterpillar grows he sheds his skin, also known as molting. He will do this between 4-6 times before he considers himself to be full grown. Each period of molting is known as an “instar.” At this stage the caterpillar is a pretty simple life form. They have twelve feet. They also have eyes but cannot yet see anything except darkness and light.
A full size caterpillar will then enter the third of his butterfly stages, which is known as the pupal or chrysalis stage. The caterpillar attaches himself to a leaf or a branch or even just lies down and covers himself with leaves. In approximately twenty-four hours the caterpillar will have a pupal skin under his caterpillar skin. At this point he sheds his caterpillar skin for the last time.
The pupae of butterflies is usually green or brown. While in the pupae, the caterpillar literally changes from a caterpillar to a butterfly. This period of time can be as short as two weeks but other butterflies hibernate over the winter and don’t emerge from the pupae until spring. When the adult butterfly first emerges he sits upside down while he dries out water fills in the hollow spaces in his wings.
The adult butterfly is the fourth and final of the butterfly stages. The entire life of the adult consists of sipping nectar from flowers, mating, and laying more eggs. Most butterflies only live for two weeks but some species hibernate during winter and these may live for ten months.
Butterflies are not seen in the spring until the temperature reaches at least 60 degrees. They have to be very warm to fly.