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Insect Life Cycle (Butterfly)

Many insects go through complete metamorphosis, with four very distinct stages.
Key Stages: Egg → larva (caterpillar) → pupa (chrysalis) → adult.

Stage 1: Egg
Stage 1: Egg
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Click here for the license
Stage 2: Larva (caterpillar)
Stage 2: Larva (caterpillar)
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Click here for the license
Stage 3: Pupa (chrysalis)
Stage 3: Pupa (chrysalis)
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Click here for the license
Stage 4: Adult butterfly
Stage 4: Adult butterfly
Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Click here for the license

💡 Fun Facts

  • A caterpillar is an eating machine! Its main job is to eat, and it can grow to be more than 1,000 times its original size.
  • Inside the chrysalis, the caterpillar turns into a kind of nutrient-rich soup before it reforms into the completely different shape of a butterfly.
  • Butterflies taste with their feet to check if a flower has nectar or if a leaf is the right kind on which to lay their eggs.