Butterflies go through a life cycle known as complete metamorphosis. The stages of their life cycle include: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
Every
butterfly begins its life as an EGG.
Female butterflies are very picky about where they lay their eggs. Usually,
they lay their eggs under leave.
When a
butterfly larva (also known as a caterpillar) first hatches from its egg, it is
very small. This young caterpillar is referred to as a FIRST INSTAR caterpillar. A
caterpillar has only one job: to eat! Many species of caterpillars begin their
feast by eating their egg shell, which contains plenty of nutrients. Other
species of caterpillars immediately begin eating the tender, small parts of
leaves.
Their skin
cannot grow with them! In order for a caterpillar to grow larger than the skin
it had when it hatched, it must make a new, larger skin! This process is
properly called MOLTING.
After the caterpillar has molted for the first time, it is referred to as a SECOND INSTAR, and it has
some room to grow.
The
second instar caterpillar continues to eat and grow, until it is once again too
big for the skin it is in. This caterpillar MOLTS again, and the result is a THIRD INSTAR caterpillar.
The third
instar caterpillar also eats and grows until it is too big for its skin. It
molts again, and the caterpillar with its new skin is referred to as a FOURTH INSTAR caterpillar.
Once
more, the caterpillar eats, grows, and molts. This final caterpillar stage,
after a total of four molts, is referred to as a FIFTH INSTAR. In
swallowtail caterpillars, the first until three instars often resemble a bird
dropping, while the fourth and fifth
instars look much more like snakes.
The
fifth instar eats, grows, and becomes too big for its skin. This final
caterpillar instar will molt one more time, but the result of this molt is
quite different. When the caterpillar molts for the fifth and final time, the
new skin underneath forms the outer shell of the CHRYSALIS.
After approximately 10 to 14 days as a chrysalis, the butterfly is ready to emerge. When the butterfly emerges from its chrysalis, its wings are small and wet, and the butterfly cannot yet fly. The butterfly must pump fluids from its abdomen through the veins in its wings, which causes the wings to expand to their full size. Next, the wings must dry and the butterfly must exercise flight muscles before it can fly.
