How long does a butterfly stay alive?

How long does a butterfly stay alive?

An average butterfly species has an adult life span of two weeks or less. For example one butterfly studied in Costa Rica had a life expectancy of about two days, and live ten days at the most. No adult butterfly can live more than a year.

Why do butterflies live so short?

In the wild, most butterflies lives are shorter than this because of the dangers provided by predators, disease, and large objects, such as automobiles. The smallest butterflies may live only a week or so, while a few butterflies, such as Monarchs, Mourning Cloaks and tropical heliconians, can live up to nine months.

What are the different life stages of a butterfly?

What are the Life Stages of a Butterfly First Stage: Egg. The life cycle starts with the adult female butterfly laying a cluster of small, round eggs on plants, which become food for the tiny worm-like caterpillars that Second Stage: Caterpillar. It is the larval stage during which the caterpillar emerges from the egg. Third Stage: Pupa. Fourth Stage: Adult.

What is the average lifespan of a butterfly?

The average lifespan of a painted lady butterfly is just 2 weeks, wherein the eggs stage will be for 3-5 days, the caterpillar stage will be for 5-10 days, then pupa will last for 7-10 days, and after 2 weeks is the adult stage. The longest lifespan is of a monarch butterfly. It is considered to be up to 12 months.

What is the life cycle of a butterfly?

The Egg – Stage 1: The female butterfly lays the egg on the surface of a leaf or a stem.

  • The Larva (Caterpillar) – Stage 2: The larvae or in this case a caterpillar that hatches goes on an eating rampage.
  • The Pupa (Chrysalis) – Stage 3: The caterpillar forms a vessel around it,called the ‘pupa’.
  • The Adult – Stage 4:
  • How long did the longest living butterfly live for?

    In a series of studies researchers estimate that the longest lifespan of a butterfly is one year . Although very few species can live that many years in the wild habitat. The mourning cloak Nymphalis antiopa is probably one of the few species that have the longest lifespan estimating 11 – 12 months.