Life cycle of the butterfly

1. mating:

The male butterfly seeks out the female butterfly when it is time to mate. This is characterized by two butterflies flying around together in a mating dance. After the mating dance, the female sits down. If she wants to mate, she is influenced by the male's scents, pheromones, which he emits from special scales on his forewings. The male then inserts his hind body between the female's wings with a grasping organ located at the back of his body. Mating can last up to ten hours. During this time, the butterflies are still able to fly and can escape potential predators even during this vulnerable moment. 

2: Egg laying:

After mating, the female lays her eggs on the plant that is the butterfly's host plant. A host plant is the plant that will become food for the caterpillar. The host plant is usually only one or a few plants for each species, so the female must be an excellent botanist. Through air pads on her feet, she identifies the host plant. As the female moves over the leaves, she can smell the plant. Some species lay their eggs singly, others in bands or cakes of up to 400 eggs. The eggs vary in shape and color depending on the species. The eggs are usually laid on the underside of a leaf or branch, well protected from sun and rain. 

3: The larvae:

When the egg hatches, the larvae bite a hole in the eggshell and crawl out. It usually eats the eggshell, which contains important nutrients. Butterfly caterpillars can be described as real 'eating machines' and they immediately start feeding on the host plant. It is during the caterpillar period that the butterfly's entire growth takes place. As the caterpillar grows, it has to change its skin several times. The new skin is often a different color and pattern from the previous one. Four to five molts are common up to the pupal stage. At the last molt, the caterpillar turns into a pupa.

4: Pre-pupation:

Before pupating, the caterpillar seeks a suitable place to pupate. Some caterpillars spin a small silk cushion that they attach to their abdomen. They then hang upside down and shed their skin one last time to finally become a pupa. Other larvae burrow into a hole in the ground, which also serves as a shelter for the pupa. There are also those that lay freely on the ground and some spin a cocoon, similar to a sleeping bag for the pupa to rest in. Perhaps the most amazing pupation is that of the black-spotted blue-winged caterpillar, which pupates deep inside an anthill without being eaten by the ants. 

5: The chrysalis:

The pupa's skin is hard and tough with projections and spines sticking out. Some pupae may even be completely smooth. Already during the pupal stage, some features can be seen of the fully formed butterfly. The antennae, wings and legs are clearly visible. The chrysalis can only move its abdomen and it cannot move, which makes the chrysalis stage the most vulnerable and dangerous stage in a butterfly's life. However, most pupae are well camouflaged to avoid enemies. Inside the chrysalis, tremendous physiological changes take place during this time. Many of the organs that the caterpillar had are now redundant and many other organs have to be formed for a fully formed butterfly to eventually crawl out. Most of the caterpillar's tissues break down into a liquid. Inside the chrysalis, there is initially an embryo of the developed butterfly. The fully formed butterfly is built up from the embryo and the fluid of decomposition products. 

6: The hatching of the butterfly:

The pupal stage lasts from one week to several months. The species that overwinter have the longest pupal stage. It is usually easy to see when a chrysalis is about to hatch as the pattern of the wings shines through the chrysalis skin. When the pupa hatches, it bursts open and the butterfly quickly crawls out. If the chrysalis is in a cocoon, the butterfly has to get out of it. There is often an opening or a thin wall at a certain point in the cocoon and this is where the butterfly crawls out. At first, the wings are small and the butterfly cannot yet fly. To unfold its wings, the butterfly pumps body fluid into the wing ribs and then secretes an enzyme that causes the wings to stiffen. This process takes about an hour and then the butterfly is ready to fly. In temperate regions, only one or two generations of butterflies can be produced annually. At some stage the butterfly must hibernate and different species overwinter during different stages. A tropical butterfly, on the other hand, can produce up to twelve generations per year. 

Did you know that? 

- Here at Fjärilshuset we import chrysalises from various approved butterfly farms around the world. Every week, about 1000 chrysalises arrive and are hung up in the exhibition. Within a week, the chrysalises hatch and the fully formed butterfly flies out. Some species live their entire life cycle here at the Butterfly House, from egg to butterfly.

- Some species can overwinter as pupae for several years. The record is held by the birch spider, which can spend as much as ten years of its life as a pupa before hatching. 

- Some butterflies use ants as bodyguards. By secreting a sweet secretion, the ants are attracted to the caterpillar. The ants then lick the sweet liquid, giving the caterpillar protection from the ants.

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