Knowra Butterfly life cycle Butterfly life cycle The developmental sequence in which a butterfly passes through egg, larva, pupa, and adult stages. Its complete metamorphosis gives each stage a distinct body form and role.
Butterfly egg : The embryonic stage of a butterfly, enclosed in a protective shell called a chorion. Embryonic development begins inside this egg before the larva hatches.
Insect : An arthropod with three pairs of legs, a body divided into head, thorax, and abdomen, and usually one or two pairs of wings. Butterflies are insects, and their development follows insect body organization.
Host plant : A plant on which an organism feeds, lives, or completes part of its development. Female butterflies often select host plants where newly hatched caterpillars can feed.
Incomplete metamorphosis : Insect development in which juveniles resemble small adults and there is no pupal stage. Unlike butterflies, insects with this pattern develop through nymphs rather than a distinct pupa.
Caterpillar : The larval form of a butterfly or moth, adapted mainly for feeding and growth. This stage consumes food and grows through repeated molts.
Hormonal regulation of insect development : The control of insect growth and molts by hormones including ecdysone and juvenile hormone. Changing hormone levels help determine whether a molt preserves larval form or initiates pupation.
Monarch butterfly migration : The seasonal movement of monarch butterflies between breeding regions and overwintering sites. Migration links adult reproduction to successive generations developing across different regions.
Hemimetabolous development : An insect developmental pattern with egg, nymph, and adult stages but no pupal stage. It contrasts with the butterfly's complete metamorphosis and radical larva-to-adult change.
Butterfly chrysalis : The pupa of a butterfly, enclosed in a hardened casing during metamorphosis. The caterpillar's final molt forms this casing around the transforming pupa.
Ecdysone : A steroid hormone that triggers molting and metamorphic changes in insects. Ecdysone pulses coordinate the molts and transformations in the butterfly's development.
Show all 21