Do you want to see the life cycle of a butterfly in a video? Check out below.
Planet earth is diversified with a wide variety of living species. Among them, animals are grouped into different classes having different life cycles.
Before get into the life-cycle of a butterfly, its essential to know the concept of metamorphosis
metamorphosis
Metamorphosis is the process that describes the transformations of a life-cycle from egg to adult. In simple words, let’s say from young one to adult.
Some insects or animals undergo 4 stages of a life-cycle called complete metamorphosis, while others don’t go through all the stages called incomplete metamorphosis.
stages in the life cycle of a butterfly
This is a perfect example for the complete metamorphosis type That includes 4 stages
1.Egg
2.Larva (caterpillar)
3.pupa or chrysalis
4adult butterfly
Stage 1.The Egg
The life of a butterfly starts from tiny eggs that are in the round, oval or cylindrical shape. These eggs are usually laid on plant leaves by female butterflies.
Stage 2. the caterpillar (larva)
The larva stage of a butterfly is called a caterpillar, in this stage, eggs hatch into caterpillars, this caterpillar stage lasts only for a short time. And they always love to eat leaves on which they are born, In this stage, all they do is eat.
Caterpillars molt their skin four or five times during their growth.
A fully grown caterpillar can be over 100 times larger than the egg from which it emerges.
stage 3. The Pupa (chrysalis)
Once the caterpillar has reached enough length and weight, they turn themselves into a pupa. And it is protected inside a cocoon. The pupa of butterflies is also called a chrysalis. This stage lasts for a few weeks, and longer.
The pupal stage is a metamorphosis stage in which caterpillar develops the legs, wings, eyes, and other parts to transform as an adult butterfly.
Stage 4 Adult butterfly
Finally, The case around the pupa splits open. The wings are soft and wet in the initial stage of birth, and it waits for wings to dry. To strengthen its wings, butterfly pumps a liquid called hemolymph.
Finally, we will get to see an adult butterfly emerge. Normally within three to four hours butterfly can master flying.
Butterflies start searching for flowers to feed on and for other butterflies to mate with.
When a female butterfly lays its eggs on leaf, the life cycle of butterfly starts again…