Content
- butterfly feeding
- where the butterfly lives
- how butterflies reproduce
- Reproduction of butterflies
- how butterflies are born
- 1. egg
- 2. Caterpillar or larva
- 3. Pupa
- 4. Adult moth
The life cycle of butterflies is one of nature's most interesting processes. The birth of these insects requires several stages, during which they undergo incredible transformations. Do you want to know how butterflies are born, as well as finding out where they live and what they eat? Discover these and other curiosities in this article by PeritoAnimal. Keep reading!
butterfly feeding
THE butterfly feeding during adulthood are mainly from the flower nectar. How do they do it? Its mouthpiece has a spiral tube capable of stretching, making it possible to reach the nectar of any type of flower. This type of mouth is called a proboscis.
Thanks to this feeding system, butterflies help to spread the pollen that sticks to their legs and, thus, they are pollinating insects. Now, what do butterflies eat before they become adults? When they hatch, they get their first nutrients from the egg that contained them. Later, during the larval or caterpillar stage, they consume large amounts of leaves, fruits, twigs and flowers.
Some species feed on smaller insects, and less than 1% devour other butterflies.
where the butterfly lives
The range of distribution of butterflies is very wide. As there are hundreds of species and subspecies it is possible to find them all around the world, including some varieties that withstand the cold polar temperatures.
Most, however, prefer to live in hot ecosystems with spring temperatures. As for habitats, they are found in those with abundant vegetation, where they can have easy access to food, can protect themselves from predators and have places to lay their eggs after mating.
how butterflies reproduce
To understand how butterflies are born, it is necessary to understand that the butterfly reproduction has two stages, courtship and mating.
Reproduction of butterflies
In courtship, males can pirouette in midair or remain stationary on branches. In either case, they emit pheromones to attract females. They in turn, too release pheromones for the male to find them, even when they are miles away.
When the male finds the female, he flaps his wings over his antennae to impregnate her with small scales filled with pheromones. That done, the courtship is completed and the mating begins.
You reproductive organs Butterflies are found in the abdomen, so they bring their tips together looking in different directions. The male introduces his reproductive organ and releases the sperm sac, with which he fertilizes the eggs that are inside his mate.
When mating ends, the female lays between 25 and 10,000 eggs in different spaces of the plants, branches, flowers, fruits and stems become the shelter for the eggs.
AND, How long does a butterfly live? Life expectancy varies by species, access to food and weather conditions. Some live between 5 and 7 days, while others have a life cycle of 9 to 12 months. After the breeding phase, you should know how butterflies are born.
how butterflies are born
Now that you know how butterflies reproduce, it's time to understand how butterflies are born. The birth of a butterfly goes through several stages from the moment the female lays her eggs on the plants. These are the stages of metamorphosis of a butterfly, in other words, how butterflies are born:
1. egg
eggs measure between 0.5 and 3 millimeters. Depending on the species, they can be oval, long or spherical. The coloration can be white, gray and almost black in some species. The egg maturation period varies with each one, but many are devoured by other animals during this stage.
2. Caterpillar or larva
After the eggs hatch, the butterflies hatch, the caterpillar begins to hatch. protein food found inside the egg. After that, start feeding on the plant where you are. During this period, the caterpillar changes exoskeleton to grow and double in size in a short time.
3. Pupa
Once the necessary size is reached, the larval period ends. The caterpillar's body increases its hormone levels and produces behavioral changes. So she starts making a chrysalis, which can be made from leaves, twigs or your own silk.
Once the butterfly chrysalis is ready, the caterpillar enters it to start the last stage of metamorphosis. Inside the chrysalis, the caterpillar's nerves, muscles and exoskeleton dissolve to give rise to new tissue.
4. Adult moth
Depending on the species and weather conditions, the butterfly may spend more or less time in the chrysalis. On brighter days, the butterfly will begin to break the chrysalis with its head until it emerges. once out, it will take 2 to 4 hours to fly. During this period, you must pump fluids to all parts of the body, which will still be compressed by the position of the pupa.
When pumping liquids, the wing ribs tense and unfold, while the rest of the exoskeleton cuticle hardens. When this process is completed, the butterflies are born, she takes flight in search of a mate to mate.
If you want to read more articles similar to how butterflies are born, we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.