Butterflies have wonderfully vivid names to match their colors: Monarch, Admiral, Queen Alexandra's Birdwing, Viceroy, Ulysses, and thousands more. There are countless species around the world, and each one goes through a dramatic change in appearance before it becomes the butterfly we recognize.
Metamorphosis is the name for these stages of development that an insect passes through on its way to becoming an adult. Every butterfly goes through all four of them.
The Four Stages of a Butterfly
The Monarch butterfly is one of the most popular and recognizable species. It can travel across continents, lives longer than most other butterflies, and produces one of the most beautiful chrysalises of any species. Like all butterflies, it only reaches its final form by passing through all four stages of metamorphosis. The diagram below shows the complete cycle.
Egg, The First Stage
Female butterflies are very choosy about the plants they lay their eggs on. That is because the caterpillar that hatches will need to eat the leaves of that exact plant. A female Monarch, for example, will only lay eggs on milkweed. Other species have their own favorites too. Some lay eggs on the underside of leaves, some on top, some lay just one egg per leaf while others lay several.
The eggs come in different colors, white, pale, or jade green. They are tiny and ovate (oval-shaped). It takes about a week or two for them to hatch. Inside the egg, the larva grows and feeds on the yolk. When it is ready, it chews a small hole and crawls out onto the leaf. That is when stage two begins, the eating phase.
Larva, The Second Stage
In this stage, the caterpillar has one job: eat as much as possible. At first it is tiny, just 0.55 milligrams and about 0.1 inch long. It starts by eating its own eggshell, which is packed with nutrients, then moves on to the leaves of the host plant. In just about two weeks, it grows to around 2 inches thick.
As the caterpillar grows, its skin does not stretch with it. So it sheds, or molts, its skin around five to six times. Each time, a new, roomier skin is waiting underneath. The caterpillar also develops eight pairs of legs along the way.
Once fully grown, the caterpillar crawls away from its host plant to find a safe spot to pupate. It spins a small silken mat, grabs on, and hangs upside down for a full day, curling into the shape of the letter "J". Then it sheds its skin one final time, and the transformation into the next stage begins.
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Pupa, The Third Stage
When the caterpillar enters the pupa stage, its eight pairs of legs and the head capsule (which held six eye lenses) have already been shed. Now it is inside the chrysalis, a protective shell that starts out soft but hardens within an hour.
Inside the chrysalis, something extraordinary happens. The caterpillar's body breaks down and is rebuilt from scratch. It grows colorful wings, long antennae, compound eyes, and long legs. After around ten to fifteen days, the transformation is complete and it is ready to emerge.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the four stages of butterfly metamorphosis?
Egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (chrysalis), and adult butterfly.
How long does it take for a chrysalis to become a butterfly?
Around ten to fifteen days.
What shape does a caterpillar make before forming its chrysalis?
The letter J, it hangs upside down from a silken mat.
How do butterflies taste?
With sensors on their feet.
What is hemolymph?
A life-saving fluid pumped into a butterfly's body and wings after it emerges from its chrysalis, helping enlarge and strengthen the wings.
Adult Butterfly, The Last and Final Stage
The hardened chrysalis cracks open and a magnificent butterfly crawls out. Its wings are soft and damp. It clings to the empty shell while a life-saving fluid called hemolymph is pumped through its body and into its wings. This slowly stretches and stiffens the wings until they are strong enough to fly. The whole process takes about an hour.
Once its wings have dried and hardened, the butterfly is ready to take to the air. Small butterflies may live for about a week or two. Some adult species have survived a month or more. Within just four to five days of emerging, a butterfly can already mate and lay eggs, starting the whole amazing cycle all over again.
Fun Trivia About Butterflies
Those beautiful jeweled wings do more than look pretty. As a butterfly flutters from flower to flower, it carries pollen from one plant to another, helping plants reproduce. But before we leave the subject, here are some astonishing trivia facts:
- Some butterflies can fly more than 2000 miles in a single fall migration.
- In the air, butterflies can reach speeds of up to 30 miles per hour.
- Butterflies are cold-blooded, so they need the warmth of the sun to power their muscles.
- There are more than 24,000 species of butterflies on Earth.
- Butterflies taste with sensors on their feet and smell through their antennae.
- When resting, a butterfly folds its wings up so they touch above its body, unlike a moth, which rests with its wings spread flat.
From a tiny egg to a graceful winged pollinator, butterflies are truly one of the most stunning insects on the planet.
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