Did you know that some of the owl moths at the Haga Ocean Butterfly House complete their entire life cycle here?
Right now, you can find owl moths in various stages of their life cycle. We have eggs, larvae, and pupae, while the adult moths are flying around in our tropical environment.
🌱 The banana is an important part of the life cycle
For a butterfly to reproduce, it needs the right host plants. The host plant is the plant that the butterfly's larvae eat and on which the female often lays her eggs.
One of the owl butterfly’s host plants is the banana plant ( ), and we actually grow bananas right here in the Butterfly House. Without the banana plant, the owl butterfly would not be able to complete its life cycle here.
From Egg to Butterfly
The life cycle begins with a small egg. When the egg hatches, a small, green caterpillar emerges. It immediately begins munching on the leaves of the banana plant. The caterpillar eats and grows rapidly, molting several times. As it develops, it changes and eventually becomes larger and brown.
Once the caterpillar has finished growing, it turns into a chrysalis. Inside the chrysalis, an amazing transformation takes place: the caterpillar develops into a fully formed butterfly.
Once the butterfly hatches, the next stage of its life cycle begins. The adult butterfly can mate, and the female can lay new eggs on the host plants.
Egg → larva → pupa → butterfly → new eggs
An entire life cycle, right before our eyes
The great thing is that right now we can observe several stages of this amazing process at the same time. With the banana plants playing a key role in the environment, our owl butterflies have been able to reproduce and complete their entire life cycle inside the Butterfly House.
The next time you visit us, take a closer look at the banana plants. Maybe a little caterpillar is hiding there, or you might find an egg that will soon give rise to a whole new generation of butterflies. 🦋
October 4, 2026
