|
Butterflies go through four stages during their life cycle: egg, caterpillar, pupa and adult. In a sense, each stage is a new life for the insect. How a butterfly comes to be is truly an amazing part of nature.
Butterfly eggs come in a wide variety of colors, shapes and sizes. In most cases, the egg is less than a millimeter in diameter and is usually deposited on a leaf. The egg is made of a tough shell that protects the inner contents. A small hole on the outer shell allows water and oxygen into the egg and is also where the sperm entered the egg for fertilization. On the inside, the yolk of the egg gives nourishment to the developing larva. Depending on the season, the egg can hatch anywhere between one week to two years. In warm seasons, the egg will likely hatch sooner rather than later. After the egg has hatched, the new caterpillar will feast on the remaining egg shell and its contents as it’s first meal, then continuing it’s life giving nourishment to the plant in which it was conceived.
Once hatched, the caterpillar will grow in size dramatically and in a very small amount of time. Most caterpillars remain in their current form for 14 to 30 days. During this stage of life, they primary indulge themselves with food. Well made for this act, the caterpillar is born with sharp cutting jaws that easily allow it to eat the greenery. Its digestive system is very competent in digesting the food quickly. Because the caterpillar is growing so quickly, it must store energy and food inside itself in preparation for the next stage.
Caterpillars, as small as the are, have some rather interesting features to keep themselves safe. They are slow moving which makes them very vulnerable to predators. Some species of caterpillar are poisonous and can be identified by their bright colors and some can omit horrendous smells to ward off predators. These are all defense mechanisms and can be very effective.
The anatomy of the caterpillar includes the head, the thorax and the abdomen. On the head, the caterpillar features six pairs of eyes. One would think that with all those eyes a caterpillar’s vision must be stellar. Not so, these eyes can detect changes in light but can not form images. On the thorax, the caterpillar features two types of legs. These legs perform different functions. The Thoracic legs consist of three pair of legs and primary are there to hold food. The Prolegs are found on the abdomen. There is five pair of these legs and their function is climbing.
After weeks of eating and digesting, the caterpillar is now ready to move on to the next stage of life. This stage is called the Pupa. During this time the caterpillar will go through an amazing transformation. It is a well-known fact that caterpillars spin silk. This silk is what begins the pupa stage. They cocoon themselves into a chrysalis to begin their metamorphosis. The cremaster is a hook that attaches to the branch for support. This hook is also the tail end of the caterpillar. Inside the cells, they breakdown to development wings, a head, a thorax and an abdomen begin to form. This transformation can take anywhere from two weeks up to a few months. One day before the butterfly is to emerge; the chrysalis will become transparent.
After the incredible metamorphosis, the butterfly emerges from its cocoon. Most of the time a butterfly will wait until the morning to complete this stage in it’s life. Butterflies love the sun and it’s warmth and will take full advantage of that. Once free of the chrysalis, the butterfly can not yet fly. It will appear deformed with crumbled wings. It will spread its wings to the full width and allow them to dry. Bodily fluids will begin to flow and the butterfly will take on a more accepted shape.
The butterfly is a gorgeous flying insect featuring scaly wings decorated with immense colors. The wings are attached to the butterfly’s thorax. Here veins support the four wings. These veins also aid in breathing. The muscles of the thorax propel the wings and legs. The butterfly can fly very intently at around 5 miles per hour.
The wings serve other purposes other than flying as well. As stated before, butterflies love the warmth of the sun. The colors soak up heat very well. Predators may very well avoid the butterfly for reasons that it appears much larger than it is. Eyespots are to thank for this. The colors are great for camouflage as well as attracting mates of the same color or pattern.
Continuing the life cycle, the female butterfly will eventually scout for a plant to lay her eggs. This takes careful planning on the part of the butterfly. She will observe a particular plant for her young to grow and feed off of once hatched. Once decided upon, she will lay her egg and fly away.
And, so the circle of life continues. Butterflies are enchanting in so many ways. From the different stages of life they go through to their mesmerizing colors.
| 
