FORT > Science Features > Education > The Children's Butterfly Site

Butterfly and Moth Life Cycle

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!SURPRISE!

Butterfly egg. Artwork by Dale Crawford. (click to get large image).

In the egg stage, the early development and joining of the male and female hereditary components take place.

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The caterpillar is the primary eating and growth stage of the insect.

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Pupa (or chrysalis). Artwork by Dale Crawford. (click to get large image).

The pupa or chrysalis is the resting or transformation stage, and within it the marvelous transformation from caterpillar to adult takes place.

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The adult emerges from the chrysalis.

Adult Butterfly and Moth. Artwork by Dale Crawford. (click to get large image).

Finally, the adult butterfly or moth is the stage where courtship, mating, and exchange of hereditary material (genes) takes place. Adults also may move among different habitats in search of more suitable environments or even partake in long migrations such as that of the Monarch.

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Monarch on flowers. Artwork by Dale Crawford. (click to get image alone).

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