What is the life cycle of a butterflies

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Butterfly
Life Cycle!

What is the life cycle of a butterfly?

There are four  amazing stages in the metamorphosis of butterflies and moths:

1. egg 
2. caterpillar or larva
3. pupa
4. adult.

Egg

The first stage is egg and it usually takes 3 to 7 days however this could vary quite a bit among different species of butterflies. As a matter of fact, some species overwinter like eggs and undergo diapause to survive the many months of winter. Eggs are laid on plants by the adult female butterfly. These plants will then become the food for the hatching caterpillars.

Caterpillar: The Feeding Stage

The next stage is the larva. This is also called a caterpillar if the insect is a butterfly or a moth. A very tiny caterpillar hatches from the egg. Eggshell is the first meal for most caterpillars. The caterpillar is designed to be an “eating machine” and before becoming to pupate it increases its body mass thousands of times. it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks.

Pupa: The Transition Stage

When the caterpillar is full grown and stops eating, it becomes a pupa. The pupa of butterflies is also called a chrysalis. Most butterfly species will stay in the chrysalis for about 1-2 weeks before the butterfly emerges

Adult: The Reproductive Stage

The adult stage is what most people think of when they think of butterflies. They look very different from the larva. The caterpillar's job was to eat. The adult's job is to mate and lay eggs.