The life cycle of the butterfly

The Egg

The mother butterfly lays the egg, or if we want to be fancy the ovum on a leaf or stem. The butterfly egg comes in different shapes and sizes, here are a few of them.


The egg takes about ten days to hatch, there is a simple exit for the tiny new born caterpillar to remove itself from the egg.

The Caterpillar

The caterpillar is an eating machine, it eats all day long. Even though it's a few millimetres long when it is born it grows VERY fast. When the caterpillar is to big for its skin, the skin sheds off and the caterpillar pops into a new skin. Like all insects the caterpillar has its skeleton outside its inner body.

The Cocoon

When the caterpillar is fully grown, it takes time to find a place to build the cocoon, pupae or larvae. When the butterfly is just about to hatch from the cocoon the cocoon becomes partly see-through and the wing becomes visible.

The Final Stage

Once the butterfly has hatched it stays in the same spot for a time while pumping blood in its wings. Once the blood is flowing nicely the butterfly flies away to find a mate and start this beautiful life cycle again.

bibliography:http://www.butterfly-guide.co.uk/life/