Butterflies
2nd Stage: Larva
1st Stage: Egg
The butterflies go through complete metamorphosis that consists in four stages: egg, larva, pupa, adult.
Life Cycle or Metamorphosis
A butterfly starts its life as an egg, which are often laid on leaves with special glue that hardens. Each specie is said to have its own “host plant” range, some are restricted to use one type of plant while others use a wide range. The egg has an outer layer of shell called the chorion lined with a thin coat of wax that prevents the egg from drying out before it passes to the next stage. The eggs have micropyles ate one end, which are little holes that allow the sperm to enter the egg in order to be fertilized. Usually, this stage lasts only a few weeks, but it may vary depending on the time or season in which they are laid.
The next stage is the larva, or the caterpillar, which comes out when the egg hatches. The caterpillars spend most of their time in search of food, consuming plant leaves. They mature through a series of stages named instars, at the end of each instar, their skin comes of and a new cuticle expands. The development of the wing patterns begins in the last instar. After the wings start forming, they eventually are forced outside the epidermis. They come as delicate wings, but after a few hours, they harden and are well-joined to the body and the butterfly can begin to move them.
The last sage of a butterfly’s life cycle is the adult stage, also known as the imago. This is when the butterfly comes out of the pupa and is already an adult, sexually mature. It has its four wings, its six legs and its three body parts. Hours after the butterfly leaves the pupa stage, it can begin to use its wings and finally live as a butterfly.
The pupa is the stage that is also known as the resting stage. After the larva has fully grown, hormones begin to produce. This is when the larva stops searching for food and feeding itself and looks for a suitable pupation site. The larva then transforms into an immobile pupa by moulting for the last time. The pupa undergoes through a rapid mitosis and absorbs a great deal of nutrients. The wing forms a structure that is compressed from one end to another as it grows so it can easily unfold itself into the adult size when the time comes.
4th Stage: Adult
3rd Stage: Pupa