Butterfly Life Cycle - Phases, Characteristics and Trivia

Author: Peter Berry
Date Of Creation: 13 February 2021
Update Date: 19 November 2024
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Content

The insect class is one of the most diverse on the planet. Within this group we find the Lepidoptera order, in which we have the butterflies and the moths. These flying animals are characterized by their membranous wings with overlapping scales, mouths with sucking abilities, and glands for the production of silk, in which they will form their cocoons, a structure that is an essential part of their reproductive life cycle.

In this article by PeritoAnimal, we present information about the butterfly life cycle - phases, characteristics and curiosities, those beautiful and fragile insects that are an important part of the biosphere. Good reading.

Lifetime of a butterfly

The lifetime of a butterfly is variable because it is related to several factors, such as:


  • The butterfly type.
  • Exposure to predators.
  • The environmental conditions where it is born.
  • The human influence over them.

Generally, a larger butterfly can achieve a 1 year average shelf life. Its life is longer than a smaller butterfly because it can withstand or avoid certain impacts with greater force than they can.

Smaller and more fragile butterflies, on the other hand, usually live a few days or a week, while others can reach a month of life. However, within the group of small butterflies, some of the longest living are the butterfly. Nymphalis antiopa and the Danaus plexippus, who manage to live for several months. Some specimens even managed to reach almost a year of life.

The reproduction of butterflies

The butterfly's life cycle starts with the mating. The butterfly's reproductive process begins with the male's courtship. Through flight, he will proceed to release pheromones in order to attract the female. If it is willing to reproduce, it will also release pheromones to communicate this to the male.


Like other animals in the animal kingdom, butterflies have sexual dimorphism, which means that males and females are visually different. In reality, males are able to identify females by the colors and shapes of their wings.

Butterflies, on the other hand, are oviparous animals with internal fertilization, so that once they join their abdomens, the male introduces his sexual organ into the female and releases the spermatophore, which is a capsule that contains the sperm. Then she can keep them inside until she finds the ideal plant for oviposition. Thus, the eggs will be fertilized before they are expelled from your body.

This form of reproduction gave the females the possibility to choose the time and place to release the eggs, which guarantees that they will be deposited on the plant where they will have greater protection during the embryo development and, furthermore, this plant will be a highly desirable food for the caterpillars that will be spawned. There are also other mechanisms to protect their embryos, such that some species of butterflies lay their eggs in a dispersed form on several plants, while others do so en masse in the same place.


In general, the butterfly's reproductive strategies vary among different species, so that some may mate in flight, while others do so on some surface, such as a plant.

For more information, see this other PeritoAnimal article on how butterflies are born.

Butterfly life cycle stages and their characteristics

The butterfly's life cycle consists of four phases. The first three stages last between 30 and 120 days, depending on both the species and the environmental conditions. We will now know the phases of the butterfly:

Egg

Some butterflies lay their eggs on several different plants, while others do so in a concentrated way on just one plant. You eggs vary in size and color depending on the species., and generally, once a plant is used for oviposition, other butterflies will not use it, probably to avoid competition between caterpillars.

Eggs can be laid individually or in groups and if the environmental conditions are not favorable, the butterfly will avoid laying them. This is because, between the butterfly phases, this is the most vulnerable step, in which they are also more susceptible to predation by other species. The egg stage can last a few days or several weeks.

Larva

This phase starts when the eggs hatch and the individuals come out of them. The larvae, also known as caterpillars, go through this phase mainly for their nutrition from the consumption of the plant's leaves, since they will have to store reserves for the later stages.

The larvae are covered with a chitin exoskeleton that provides protection and, as in the egg stage, some species of caterpillars are kept in groups, while others are alone. In the first case, this gives them advantages such as thermoregulation, defense against natural enemies and cooperation for the consumption of leaves, which can be difficult if they do it individually. In the second case, they are less exposed to attack by parasites and predators, as well as competition for food.

Within this phase of the butterfly, the caterpillar goes through a period composed of other phases, which can vary from four to seven stages, which are known as instar or stage of development, and the number of stages will depend on the butterfly species. As the caterpillar grows, passing through each instar, its exoskeleton changes. Before starting the next stage, the larva decreases its food intake and prepares for the next transformation.

Pupa or Chrysalis

This phase of the butterfly is also called the "cocoon" colloquially. At this stage, the animal remains fixed in a place it has chosen and, inside the pupa, great transformations occur through the butterfly metamorphosis.

Butterflies developed adaptive strategies at this stage, so that the chrysalis have particular shapes and colors that make them go almost unnoticed in the places where they are fixed. This step can also take several days, but, as in the previous ones, it will depend on the species.

Imago (adult stage)

This is the last of the butterfly's four phases and is also the final stage in the butterfly's life cycle. At this stage the butterfly emerges from the fully developed and sexually mature pupa, so it can reproduce. Upon exiting the chrysalis, the individual is damp, but once it spreads its wings and dries, it is able to fly. The moment of pupae leaving is one of the most spectacular moments of the butterfly's metamorphosis.

Adult butterflies feed differently than in the caterpillar stage, and ingest nectar, pollen and fermenting fruitsHowever, they need sugar-rich nutrients to provide them with the energy they need for their flights.

Butterfly vulnerability

Butterflies are very vulnerable animals, as they are not only exposed to their natural predators, but environmental conditions play a determining role for them. Furthermore, in the case of species that select certain plants to lay their eggs, they are at greater risk if these plants are no longer present in their habitat, as this would not only eliminate the place for their development, but also their food source.

Check out the fragility of butterfly eggs in the photo below:

If you want to read more articles similar to Butterfly Life Cycle - Phases, Characteristics and Trivia, we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.