Butterfly Life Cycle
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Eggs are usually laid on leaves or stems of “host” plants (that later become food) by adult females.

Once the caterpillar is fully grown, it looks for a firm place, such as a log or branch, which will protect it from the wind and weather. It then makes a silk-like mat and attaches its last pair of legs to the mat. It hangs there as it passes from the larval (caterpillar) stage to the pupa (chrysalis) stage of metamorphosis. Under the caterpillar's skin is a casing which is called a chrysalis. Inside the chrysalis, which is only about an inch long, the caterpillar transforms into a beautiful butterfly. Its new skin is soft and damp at first, but after it dries for about an hour it becomes hard, providing a protective shell for the caterpillar inside.

When the metamorphosis process is complete, the butterfly emerges from the chrysalis with tiny, wet, and crumpled wings. The butterfly clings to its empty chrysalis shell as hemolymph, the blood-like substance of insects, is pumped through its body. As the hemolymph fills the butterfly's body and wings, they enlarge. About one hour after emerging from its chrysalis, the butterfly's wings are full-sized, dry, and ready for flying. It will make short flights until it is strong enough to fly longer distances.

Adult butterflies rely on flight to search for flowers with nectar. Butterflies use a long, coiled tube-like mouthpart (proboscis) to drink nectar from flowers. A few days after emerging from the chrysalis, the butterflies are able to mate and begin the life cycle again.

Nectar plants: Nectar produced b the flowers of wildflowers, bushes, and/or other trees in your garden is the primary food source for butterflies

Host plants: Caterpillars eat the leaves of the plants on which their eggs were laid. Each species of butterfly has specific host plants on which they lay eggs and on which the caterpillars of that species feed.

Your butterfly garden should include both nectar plants and host plants to support the adults and caterpillars.

Butterflies get their water needs met by drinking nectar and visiting shallow puddles. Some species will also acquire their mineral needs by drinking around decomposing plants or animals or around animal dung.

If you have a puddling station in your garden (a saucer filled with sand, manure, and water), this provides minerals to visiting butterflies.

Butterflies will take refuge from inclement weather or predators in the bushes or trees in your garden.

Different species of butterflies only lay their eggs on specific species of plants (referred to as “host plants”) and the caterpillars will only eat these plants before pupating.

The most important part of your butterfly garden is native plants (plants that occur naturally in our area). They are better adapted (able to survive in) for our specific climate and soil than non-native plant species (do not occur naturally and historically in a specific area; have been introduced). Native butterflies have co-evolved (influence each other in the process of development or evolution) with these native plants. Butterflies are able to more effectively and efficinetly collect pollen and nectar from native plants, making their success more likely than if they were to visit non-native species.

These plants are an important base in the food chain, as they attract native butterfly species which are in turn food for native birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. For these reasons, native plants increase the biodiversity (the variety of life found in a specific place) of your outdoor classroom.

To read more about native plant species, CLICK HERE! To see a list of plants most commonly found in an outdoor classroom butterfly garden, CLICK HERE!

Arizona State University: Ask A Biologist