Butterflies are among the world's most popular and appreciated invertebrates. The delicate shape of their body and the multitude of colors that their wings can dye make these insects very striking and curious animals, both for their morphology and their life cycle.
If you want to know all about how butterflies reproduce, discover how they live and learn about their metamorphosis, then you can't miss it this article on our site in which we will detail the reproduction of butterflies step by step. Keep reading!
Butterfly curiosities
Before detailing how the butterfly cycle is, you need to know that they are part of the invertebrates, more specifically of the order of the lepidoptera Although the best known species are diurnal, most butterflies are nocturnal animals. The diurnal ones are called Rhopalocera and the nocturnal ones Heterocera.
Among the curiosities of butterflies, is their mouthparts, since they have a trunk very thin that rolls up and down. Thanks to this mechanism, adult butterflies are able to sip nectar from flowers, their main food. During this process, they also fulfill the role of pollinating animals. In the earliest stages of their life, however, these insects feed on leaves, fruits, flowers, roots and stems
Where do butterflies live? They can be found all over the world, as some species are able to survive even in polar areas. Most of them, however, prefer warmer areas with abundant vegetation. Some, like the monarch butterfly, migrate to different regions during the winter, in order to carry out their reproductive cycle.
The metamorphosis of the butterfly is one of its main curiosities, since the reproductive and birth cycle follows specific steps. Next, you will discover how butterflies reproduce.
Playing butterflies
The life expectancy of a butterfly varies depending on the species. Some only survive a few weeks, while others exceed the year. In addition, factors such as weather conditions and the amount of food are decisive for their survival.
The body of butterflies is divided into three parts: head, thorax and abdomen. On the head they have two antennae, while six legs and two wings emerge from the thorax. The vital organs, including the reproductive system, are located in the abdomen. In addition, males and females present sexual dimorphism, being these larger than their partners, in addition to differences in color between the two.
The Butterfly cycle begins with the reproductive process, which has two stages: courtship and mating.
1. Courtship
In butterfly reproduction, courtship is a crucial step. Males perform reconnaissance flights to seek out females, attracting their attention by performing pirouettes and spreading pheromones. In the same way, the females respond to the call by releasing their own pheromones, which the males are capable of perceiving from almost two kilometers away.
Some males, instead of looking for them, rest quietly on branches of leaves or trees, from where they begin to release their hormones to attract to potential partners. Located the female, the male beats her wings over her, with the aim of impregnating the antennae with the small scales that he releases from her. These scales contain pheromones and help the female to be ready for mating
two. Mating
The next step in the butterfly cycle is mating. Both butterflies join the tips of their abdomens, each facing in different directions, for gamete exchange to occur.
The male inserts her reproductive organ into the female's abdomen and releases a sac called the spermatophore, which contains the sperm. The female's orifice, for its part, receives the sac and with it fertilizes the eggs, which are inside her body
In most species, mating occurs in a place where both individuals can remain static, such as a rock, a sheet etc. During the process, the butterflies are vulnerable to attack by a predator, so some have developed the ability to mate while in flight. These are the basic processes to understand how butterflies reproduce.
How are butterflies born?
The next step in the butterfly cycle is the metamorphosis that occurs from the moment the female releases her eggs. Depending on the species, we are talking about between 25 and 10,000 eggs The eggs are laid on leaves, stems, fruits and branches of different plants, each type of butterfly uses a specific plant species, which contains the nutrients necessary for the development of the specimen in its different stages.
Despite the number of eggs laid by the female, only 2% will reach adulthood. Most will be eaten by predators or die due to weather effects such as strong winds, rain, etc.
The metamorphosis of the butterfly follows these stages:
- Egg: they measure a few millimeters and have different shapes: cylindrical, round, oval, etc.
- Larva or caterpillar: Once hatched, the larva feeds on its own egg and then continues to eat to grow. During this stage, it is able to shed its exoskeleton.
- Pupa: reached the ideal size, the caterpillar stops feeding and makes a chrysalis, either with leaves or its own silk. In the chrysalis, its body transforms to generate new tissues.
- Adult: After the metamorphosis process, the adult butterfly breaks the chrysalis and emerges to the surface. You must wait at least 4 hours before flying, during this period, it pumps body fluids so that the body hardens. When it is able to take flight, it will look for a mate to repeat the reproductive cycle.
Now you know how butterflies are born, but How long does it take for a butterfly to come out of the chrysalis? It is not possible to offer a quantity of certain days, since this process varies according to the species, the possibility that each one has of feeding during the larval stage and the climatic conditions.
For example, if there are low temperatures, the butterfly stays longer in the chrysalis, as it waits for the sun to arrive before emerging. Although it seems that it is isolated inside the cocoon, in reality it perceives the temperature changes that occur outside. Generally, the minimum time that a larva remains in the chrysalis is about 12 or 14 days, however, it can be extended up to 2 months if the conditions are not optimal for its survival.
