Life Cycle of the Butterfly: EssayThe life cycle of a butterfly is truly remarkable because it undergoes four distinct stages that are visually unique. These stages are known as the egg stage, larva stage, nymph stage, and the fourth and final instar where the butterfly emerges. This process, also known as butterfly metamorphosis, is a beautiful and amazing transformation that sets butterflies apart as a unique insect species. If you would like to learn more about the life cycle of a butterfly, consider reading a detailed essay on the subject. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay In the first stage, the butterfly starts as an egg. The egg is very small and either cylindrical or a perfect circle. For some butterflies, you can even see the little caterpillar growing inside the egg. These eggs are usually found on the leaves. You need patience to find them because they are small. The second stage occurs after the eggs hatch. From the egg a caterpillar is born, which is a butterfly larva. During this stage, the caterpillar only eats. 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 the eggs on the caterpillars' favorite leaf flavor. The caterpillar starts small, but grows quickly as it eats. The caterpillar also sheds its skin several times as it grows because its outer shell, called the exoskeleton, does not grow with it. The third stage is called the pupa stage. Once the caterpillar has grown, it begins to form a chrysalis, which is a type of cocoon. Inside the chrysalis there are a lot of changes going on, but on the outside it seems still. The old parts that made up the caterpillar melt and transform to form the parts that make up the butterfly. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized paper now from our expert writers. Get a Custom Essay In the final phase, all the change is done. The caterpillar has finished transforming through metamorphosis inside the chrysalis and will now emerge from the chrysalis. When the butterfly first emerges, the wings will be tenderly folded. He will stay like this for a little while so that he can rest from all the work of emerging from the chrysalis. Then, for three to four hours, the butterfly will flap its wings until they work properly. He will then fly and try to make his own egg! Works Cited Baars, MA and Kraaijeveld, K. (2019). Butterflies and climate change. Current Opinion in Insect Science, 35, 96-101. Beck, J. and Zulka, K.P. (2019). Butterfly gardens: creating habitats for wildlife. Virginia Cooperative Extension. Boggs, CL and Freeman, KD (2005). Larval food plant choice in butterflies: consequences and fitness mechanisms. Oikos, 108(3), 480-492. Brower, LP (1995). Understanding and misunderstanding the migration of the monarch butterfly (Nymphalidae) in North America: 1857-1995. Journal of the Lepidoptera Society, 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-garden Keene, J. (2019). Butterflies of North America: An activity and coloring book. Dover Publications. Lefèvre, T. and Oliver, JC (2019). Evolutionary ecology of insect immune defenses. Annual Review of Entomology, 64, 159-177. Opler, PA and Warren, AD (2002). Butterflies of North America: 2. List of scientific names of species of.