We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty., Maya Angelou
A butterfly is a perfect example of the magic of transformation. Even though each stage can seem difficult, the end result is something full of freedom and beauty. Every butterfly starts out as a humble caterpillar. That caterpillar must work hard to break free from its cocoon and step into the open. Then it becomes a butterfly, a symbol of color, beauty, and change! In the sections below, we'll look at all 4 growth stages of a butterfly: from a tiny egg, to a hungry caterpillar, to an extraordinary butterfly.
Stage 1: The Egg
The first stage in a butterfly's life is a tiny egg. It can be so small that you can barely see it with the naked eye. The egg has a hard outer shell called the chorion, which protects the larva developing inside. The chorion has a waxy inner lining to keep the larva from drying out. The female butterfly glues her eggs to the leaves of a host plant using a gum-like chemical. This hardens quickly, holding each egg firmly in place.
Different species lay different numbers of eggs at a time, and the shape and size can vary too. The eggs may take a few weeks to hatch. If the eggs are laid in autumn or winter, they may go into a resting phase called diapause, they pause their development and only hatch when spring arrives. Some northern species lay their eggs in spring, with hatching happening over the summer.
Stage 2: The Larva (Caterpillar)
The second stage is the larval stage. Larvae (the plural of larva) are also known as caterpillars. The very first thing a caterpillar does after hatching is eat its own egg case! A caterpillar's body has three main sections: a head, a thorax, and an abdomen. It has a set of true legs and a set of five fleshy false legs called prolegs. It has six eyes, though its vision is not very sharp. It breathes through tiny holes along the sides of its body. A newly hatched caterpillar is very small, but it eats constantly and grows much bigger.
Caterpillars can be dull-colored or brightly striped. Tiny wing disks form inside the thorax during this stage, ready for later. Some caterpillars are hairy; others have bristles. As a caterpillar grows, it sheds its skin several times to make room for its larger body. When it is big enough (about 1¼ inches) it hangs itself from the underside of a leaf in a J shape, and gets ready for the next stage.
Stage 3: The Pupa (Chrysalis)
During the pupa stage, the caterpillar's skin comes off one final time. Each time a caterpillar sheds its skin, the period between sheds is called an instar. After the last instar, the pupa forms. A small spiny hook called the cremaster appears at the tip of the abdomen. This hooks into a silky pad on a leaf or stem, and the pupa hangs safely from it. Newly-emerged butterflies also hang from the cremaster while their wings dry out.
Some pupae can wriggle parts of their abdomen to make sounds that scare off predators. Inside the chrysalis, the caterpillar's body completely breaks down and rebuilds itself into a butterfly, a process called metamorphosis. The pupa looks still from the outside, but an extraordinary change is happening within. The beautiful wing patterns are formed right here, in this stage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the four stages of a butterfly's life cycle?
Egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (chrysalis), and adult butterfly.
What is the outer shell of a butterfly egg called?
The chorion, a hard shell with a waxy inner lining that keeps the developing larva moist.
What does a caterpillar eat first after hatching?
Its own egg case! After that it moves on to eating the leaves of its host plant.
How long do adult butterflies live?
Depending on the species, anywhere from a week to about a year.
What is diapause in butterflies?
A resting phase where eggs laid in autumn pause their development and only hatch in spring.
Take the Butterfly Life Cycle Quiz!
5 quick questions. How well do you know your chorion from your cremaster?
Stage 4: The Adult Butterfly
An adult butterfly emerges with its wings folded up. It has the same three body sections, head, thorax, and abdomen. It has six legs, though it tucks two of them up when resting. To feed, the butterfly uses a long, hollow, coiled tongue called a proboscis, which works like a drinking straw to sip nectar and water. It has two sets of wings (hind wings and fore wings) both covered with thousands of tiny scales.
The main job of the adult butterfly is to mate and lay eggs, starting the life cycle over again. How long an adult butterfly lives depends on the species, anywhere from about a week to a full year.
* Note: The time spent at each stage can vary depending on when the eggs were laid and the specific species of butterfly.
The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough., Rabindranath Tagore
What is most amazing about the life of this beautiful creature is its grit to live and transform itself from something that crawls on a surface - to something that can spread its beautiful wings and fly high to freedom. A short life, that begins with an almost invisible little egg - after going through a magical transformation - becomes a subject of marvel, beauty, and inspiration. That is the life of a butterfly - live not by days, but by moments; not by permanency, but by dynamism; not by doubts, but by a belief - that whatever is happening, is happening for you to experience something beautiful.
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