Strecker: The key to butterflies is knowing their life cycle

Published 5:00 am Saturday, June 15, 2024

Everyone loves butterflies! Understanding the life cycle of butterflies is the first step to attracting these pollinators in your garden. The key is to provide food and protection for every stage of the butterfly’s life cycle.

Butterflies are classified in the order Lepidoptera (which includes butterflies, moths and skippers) and have a “complete” metamorphosis, going through four “complete” body changes during their life cycle: Egg, Larva (Caterpillar), Pupa (Chrysalis), and Adult (Butterfly). For pictures of each of these stages go to: https://aggie-hort.tamu.edu/plantanswers/butterflies/LifeCycle-Gallery/index.html.

The Egg Stage is the shortest of the butterfly’s life cycle. The egg is laid on the surface of a nutritious host plant so that when the egg hatches (4-10 days after being laid), the resulting caterpillar has a food source to eat. During this stage many genes are expressed that will direct butterfly development.

The Larva (Caterpillar) Stage is one of feeding and growth. During this stage, the caterpillar is on a host plant that provides nutrition to go through body expansion and shedding of its body surface (molting). Molting can occur several times before the final large caterpillar appears. This entire stage can last up to three weeks depending on the butterfly. During this stage, rudimentary adult structures are made deep within the caterpillar, which requires a great deal of food energy in preparation for the next life cycle stage.

During the Pupa (Chrysalis) Stage, the ravenous caterpillar is hormonally induced to stop eating and crawl to a spot where it will secrete a hard covering called the Chrysalis. This protects the organism as it goes through a radical change (metamorphosis). Over two weeks, its larval structures will dissolve while rudimentary adult structures transform into mature parts of the adult butterfly. At the end of this stage, an adult butterfly literally crawls out of the chrysalis.

At the beginning of the Adult Stage, butterflies emerge from their pupal (chrysalis) case unable to fly. Their wings inflate into balloons and then flatten into elegantly thin appendages. After several hours, these insects can fly, feed, and engage in mating rituals. The duration of the adult stage can last 6 months for the migrating Monarch (Danaus plexippus) Butterfly to as short as two weeks for the Buckeye or Painted Lady Butterfly.

During the calendar year, when does the butterfly life cycle begin? The breeding season for Monarch Butterflies is at the end of February/beginning of March, as they migrate from Mexico northward to Texas. In early Spring these migrating butterflies breed and lay eggs on Butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) and Lantana (Viburnum lantana) leaves in Texas. Caterpillars will hatch and feed for a few weeks and then the chrysalis will form. By late April/early May, the next or second generation of adult Monarch butterflies will emerge, leave Texas and migrate north to Canada to breed again

Visit a real Monarch Butterfly garden in Tyler’s IDEA garden described here: https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/travis/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/EAGF-2015-Butterfly-Garden-Brochure.pdf. To learn about Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s online course on butterflies and creating a butterfly garden, go to: https://agrilifetoday.tamu.edu/2022/06/13/learn-about-butterflies-bring-them-to-your-garden/