August 16, 2022

The Life of a Butterfly

Butterflies have 4 stages of life

• The Egg

• The Larva (Caterpillar)

• The Chrysalis (Cocoon)

• The Butterfly

Cluster of tiny round white butterfly eggs laid on the surface of a green leaf

Nine-frame sequence of a caterpillar chewing its way out of a ribbed orange egg on a green stem

Once hatched, caterpillars usually live 2-5 weeks, before making a cocoon.

Lime-green caterpillar with false eyespots resting on a twig, yellow flowers softly blurred behind

The cocoon of a caterpillar is made of strands of silk, woven together.

Sometimes caterpillars include other materials, such as leaves, twigs or dirt.

This help to camouflage the caterpillar as it turns into butterfly and protects it from predators.

Yellow pupa with black spots tucked inside a loose silk cocoon on a dry grass stem

Once in the cocoon, butterflies stay inside there cocoon from 5-21 days.

Some caterpillars stay in there for up to three years if they are in harsh conditions like the desert, waiting for rain or good conditions.

Monarch chrysalis turned see-through, orange and black wings visible inside, hanging from a branch against blue sky

The longest lived butterflies live for 9 months to a year,

but the average lifespan for the majority of species is just 2-4 weeks.

Newly emerged butterfly with yellow, orange and black wings clinging below its empty chrysalis

SARONGS