Growth Stages of a Butterfly

Butterfly eggs are laid in batches on the underside of leaves.The eggs become darker as the time for hatching becomes nearer.

The eggs hatch as long thin caterpillars which eat leaves for a month,they only stop eating to molt or discard their skin when it gets too tight.

When the caterpillar is ready it will spin a cocoon of silk around itself,The shell is called a chrysalis.Inside it becomes a pupa and starts to grow wings to then change into the adult butterfly.

When the butterfly emerges,its wings are crumpled and damp but they soon dry,expand and harden.Butterflies feed on nectar which they get from the centre of flowers using their long tongue called a proboscus.