Butterfly Life Cycle: EssayThe life cycle of a butterfly is truly remarkable as it goes through four distinct phases that are visually unique. These stages are known as the egg stage, larva stage, pupal stage and the fourth and final stage in which the butterfly emerges. This process, also known as butterfly metamorphosis, is a beautiful and astonishing transformation that distinguishes butterflies as a unique insect species. If you are interested in learning more about the life cycle of a butterfly, consider reading a detailed essay on the topic. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay During the first stage, the butterfly starts out as an egg. The egg is very small and perfect cylindrical or circular. For some butterflies you can even see the tiny caterpillar growing inside the egg. These eggs are usually found on leaves. Finding them requires patience because they are small. The second phase occurs after the eggs hatch. From the egg comes a caterpillar, which is a butterfly larva. During this phase the only thing the caterpillar does is eat. They start as soon as they are born and eat the leaf they were born on. Different caterpillars like different leaf flavors, so the mother lays her eggs on the caterpillar's favorite leaf flavor. The caterpillar starts out small, but grows rapidly as it eats. Additionally, the caterpillar sheds its skin many times as it grows because its outer shell, called the exoskeleton, does not grow with it. The third stage is called the pupal stage. Once the caterpillar has grown, it begins to form a chrysalis, which is a kind of cocoon. Inside the chrysalis many changes are happening, but on the outside it seems still. The old parts that made up the caterpillar are melting and transforming to form the parts that make up the butterfly. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In the final stage, all the change is done. The caterpillar has finished transforming through metamorphosis inside the pupa and will now emerge from the chrysalis. When the butterfly first emerges, the wings will be tenderly folded and closed. It will stay like this for a while so it can rest from all the work of coming out of the chrysalis. Then, over three to four hours, the butterfly will flap its wings until they function properly. Then he will fly around and try to create an egg of his own! Works Cited Baars, M. A., & Kraaijeveld, K. (2019). Butterflies and climate change. Current opinion in insect science, 35, 96-101. Beck, J., & Zulka, K. P. (2019). Butterfly Gardens: Creating Habitats for Backyard Wildlife. Virginia Cooperative Extension.Boggs, C. L., & Freeman, K. D. (2005). Larval food plant choice in butterflies: consequences and fitness mechanisms. Oikos, 108(3), 480-492. Brower, L. P. (1995). Understanding and misunderstanding the migration of the monarch butterfly (Nymphalidae) in North America: 1857-1995. Journal of the Society of Lepidopterists, 49(4), 304-385.Jenkins, A. (2021). How to Attract Butterflies to Your Garden. The Old Farmer's Almanac. https://www.almanac.com/content/how-attract-butterflies-your-gardenKeene, J. (2019). Butterflies of North America: An activity and coloring book. Dover Publications.Lefèvre, T., & Oliver, J.C. (2019). Evolutionary ecology of insect immune defenses. Annual Review of Entomology, 64, 159-177. Opler, P. A., & Warren, A. D. (2002). Butterflies of North America: 2. List of scientific names for butterfly species of North America, north of Mexico. CP Gillette Museum of Arthropod Diversity, Department of Bioagricultural Sciences and Pest Management, Colorado.