CLICK HERE TO WATCH THIS EPISODE OF XPLORATION ANIMAL SCIENCE<\/u><\/b><\/a><\/h3>June 14, 2017 <\/b><\/p>
Butterflies can be found all around the world. These beautiful insects feed mostly on nectar from flowers. <\/span><\/p>A butterfly's lifecycle can be broken down into 4 stages. Each with a specific purpose - and a very different look. <\/span><\/p>It starts with a tiny <\/span>egg, often glued to a leaf. Depending on the species, a female butterfly may lay hundreds of eggs in her lifetime. <\/span><\/p>The second stage begins when a hungry caterpillar hatches. Also called <\/span>larvae, its job is simple: to eat an grow. In 2-4 weeks, a caterpillar can increase to more than a thousand times its original size. <\/span><\/p>But the caterpillar has a rigid outer layer called an exoskeleton. Unlike human skin, the exoskeleton doesn\u2019t grow with the rest of the body. So the caterpillar must shed its outer layer 5 times. <\/span><\/p>Stage 3 happens when hormones signal the caterpillar to attach itself to a leaf to twig and shed its exoskeleton one last time. The new layer of skin hardens, forming a protective shell called a chrysalis. <\/span><\/p>Inside, the caterpillar isn\u2019t just swapping clothes. <\/span><\/p>\u201cAll the cells that are in that caterpillar change. <\/span>They metamorph, they change from caterpillar cells to butterfly cells ultimately changing the whole organism from this worm-like caterpillar into a butterfly,\u201d said Christopher Tipping, <\/span>Associate Professor of Biology at Delaware Valley College. <\/span><\/p>Finally, after about 3 weeks, the new butterfly emerges. Its new wings are damp and wrinkled, like clothes fresh out of a washing machine. Within a few hours, the wings dry and the butterfly is ready for flight. <\/span><\/p>It heads for colorful, fragrant flowers so it can feed on sugary nectar. They\u2019re able to see the ultra-violet light spectrum, which helps butterflies identify which flowers have the most nectar. <\/span><\/p>In the process, butterflies help plants reproduce by carrying pollen from one flower to another. <\/span><\/p>And as they fly from flower to flower, butterflies are also flirting, looking for mates so they can <\/span>reproduce and start the cycle all over again.<\/span><\/p>CLICK HERE TO WATCH THIS EPISODE OF XPLORATION ANIMAL SCIENCE<\/u><\/span><\/a><\/p>RELATED: THIS HIMALAYAN CAT CATCHES FISH TO SURVIVE<\/a>
<\/p>","sidebar_id":"1","publish_start_date":"2017-06-14","publish_end_date":"0000-00-00","tags":[{"text":"butterfly"},{"text":"animal"},{"text":"awesome-planet"},{"text":"animal-science"},{"text":"metamorphasis"},{"text":"caterpillar"}],"status":"A","post_type":"P","post_views":"372","unlink_url":"","seo_title":"This is the Metamorphosis of A Caterpillar Becoming a Butterfly","seo_tags":"butterfly metamorphosis, caterpillars becoming butterfly, how does a caterpillar become a butterfly, metamorphosis, chrysalis, animal science, Science website for teachers, science site for teachers, science ideas, fox STEM tv show, fox science show, biology teacher resource, exploration station, exploration, xploration, animal science,","seo_description":"A butterfly's lifecycle can be broken down into 4 stages. Each with a specific purpose - and a very different look.","created_date":"2026-04-01 16:54:55","updated_date":"2018-08-29","cats_name":["Xploration Animal Science"]}}