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Sep 24, 2023 · Larva (Caterpillar): After hatching from the egg, the larva, commonly known as a caterpillar, emerges. This stage primarily involves feeding on plant material to grow. As it grows, the caterpillar sheds its skin several times, a process called molting.
The next stage is the larva. This is also called a caterpillar if the insect is a butterfly or a moth. The job of the caterpillar is to eat and eat and eat. As the caterpillar grows it splits its skin and sheds it about 4 or 5 times. Food eaten at this time is stored and used later as an adult.
Butterflies and moths go through four key stages of metamorphosis; egg, caterpillar, pupa, and adult. Watch our animated film above and download our life cycle guide and activity sheets to learn more about this incredible process.
Oct 4, 2017 · A butterfly larva first emerges from its egg as a caterpillar, chewing its way out of its protective shell. It keeps munching large quantities of leaves, growing and shedding its skin as it outgrows it.
- Egg
- Larva
- Pre-Pupa
- Pupa
- Adult
Egg – location
Female monarch butterflies lay tiny creamy-yellow eggs generally on the underside of a milkweed leaf. Image: Keith Moore
Egg – time
Eclosion (hatching) occurs in 4–8 days, depending on the temperature. Image: Jacqui Knight
Egg – development
As the larva develops, the egg changes in colour. The egg is grey when it’s about to hatch and the black head is visible. If you use a magnifying glass, you can see it moving around.
Larva – head or tail?
Soft, black filaments are at either end. The filaments behind the head wiggle when the larva feeds. Note that the filaments are not antennae. Three pairs of true legs are near the head. Each leg has a single claw. Prolegs are at the back. These help the larva cling to the plant. Image: Jacqui Knight
Larva – exoskeleton
As the larva grows, it has to moult (shed) its exoskeleton (skin). A monarch larva moults 5 times. The stage between moults is called an instar. Image: Jacqui Knight
Larva – an eating machine
The larva emerges to become an eating machine. In 2–3 weeks, it grows to about 2,700 times its birth weight. If a human baby grew in a similar manner, it would weigh 8 tonnes when 2 weeks old! Image: Jacqui Knight
Pre-pupa – silk mat
The larva’s 5th and final moult comes when it weighs about 1.5g and is about 55mm long. The larva finds a sheltered site and produces a tightly woven silk mat. It hooks its rear prolegs into the silk and hangs downwards. Image: Jacqui Knight
Pre-pupa – final moult
Hormones kick in, and within 2 days, the larva moults into a pupa. Image: Jacqui Knight
Pupa – chrysalis
Chrysalis is a Greek word for gold. Scientists are unsure about why the gold band and spots appear on the chrysalis. Image: Jacqui Knight
Pupa – bodily changes
While in the pupal stage, the larval tissue reassembles itself. The straw-like proboscis replaces jaws. Wings and reproductive organs develop. Image: Cosima Ray
Pupa – time
After about 10 days, the final moult reveals an adult butterfly. The enlarged abdomen is full of fluid. The butterfly pumps the fluid into its crumpled wings until they become full and stiff. Image: Jacqui Knight
Adult butterfly – size
Adult butterflies do not continue to grow but remain the same size for life. Image: Kath Widdowson
Adult – antennae
The antennae detect pheromones – odour chemicals – used in courtship. Image: Cosima Ray
Adult – feet
Butterflies use their feet to locate and taste nectar. Image: Cosima Ray
Dec 18, 2009 · The Monarch Butterfly Life Cycle. There are four stages in the life cycle of a butterfly. The stages include, egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The entire process is called complete metamorphosis and is one of two ways insects develop from an egg to an adult.
The butterfly life cycle involves the following stages: After mating with a male butterfly, a sexually mature female butterfly lays her eggs on the leaves of plants. The eggs enter a growth phase...
