What is a butterfly?
A butterfly is a type of insect. Insects are distinguished from all other animals by having an external skeleton (a hard outer covering), three main body parts (head, thorax, and abdomen) and three pairs of jointed legs (all attached to the thorax. Butterflies belong to the order of insects called Lepidoptera, which means “scaly wings”
 

What are the stages of a butterfly’s life cycle?

There are four stages to a butterfly’s life, and each stage is radically different from the others.

Briefly, a butterfly starts as an egg. After about 5 to 10 days  the egg hatches and a tiny caterpillar (larvae) emerges.

The caterpillar starts to eat and will shed it’s skin 4 to 6 times as it gets bigger and bigger.

After about 2 to 4 weeks the caterpillar will be full grown and transforms itself into a chrysalis/pupa.

What happens next is most amazing as inside the pupal case the caterpillars body breaks down into a kind of soup from which grows the adult structure of the butterfly! This stage can take between 10 to 15 days. Finally, the adult butterfly emerges from the chrysalis. Adult butterflies will mate, the female will lay eggs and the life cycle starts over. The whole process is called metamorphosis, which means “change of form”.

How long do butterflies live?
The average life of a butterfly is around two weeks. Some species only live a day or two and other species are capable of living around nine months.

How can I tell a butterfly from a moth?
Butterflies and moths are related in many ways. Butterflies are generally brightly-colored while moths are generally drab, though they are many dramatic exceptions to this. Almost all butterflies are active during the day, and most (but not all) moths are active at night. The easiest way to tell the difference is by their antennae. Butterfly antennae are shaped somewhat like a golf club, with a long shaft. Most moths have either simple filaments tapering to a point, or complicated affairs with many cross-filaments.

How many kinds of butterfly are there?
Worldwide, there are around 20,000 species. There are about 725 species in the USA and Canada. About 2,000 species have been found in Mexico. About 80% of all species are in the tropics.

Where do butterflies go at night?
At night or during bad weather, butterflies will usually hang from the undersides of leaves, or crawl into crevices between rocks or other objects, and sleep.

What do butterflies eat?
Most adult butterflies sip nectar from flowers through their proboscis which acts like a straw like tongue. A  few species of jungle butterfly feed on tree sap or rotting organic material, for example, fruit.

What do caterpillars eat?
Almost all caterpillars eat plant materials. Most eat leaves, but some eat seeds, seed pods, or flowers. The caterpillar of the Harvester butterfly eats aphids.

What are the largest and smallest butterflies?
Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae), with a wing span of 11-1/8 inches (280 mm). The smallest butterfly, is the Pygmy Blue (Brephidium exilis), it is found in the southern United States. Its wingspan is ½ inch (15 mm).

What are the world’s rarest and most common butterflies?  
The rarest (and biggest) butterfly is the beautiful Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae). It is found only in the rain forest of New Guinea, but destruction of its habitat is threatening this  beautiful creature with extinction. The most common butterfly is the Cabbage White.

Common Questions

Q: My larvae aren’t moving.  Are they dead?
A: Probably not.  If you see no movement in one week, return the culture for a replacement.

Q: Can I remove the lid and play with the larvae?
A: No. Opening will introduce bacteria.

Q: What are the little green balls I see?
A: That is the “frass” or waste.

 Q: What do I do after the chrysalides are formed?
A: About 2 days after all the chrysalides have formed, transfer the chrysalides on the disk into your habitat.

Q: If a chrysalides falls off the disk, what should I do?
A: Let all remaining chrysalides form, then remove the disk.  Now pick up the fallen chrysalis and transfer that into the bottom of the habitat.

Q: Why are the chrysalides shaking?
A: This is a natural instinct to ward off predators.

Q: What is the red liquid I see as the butterflies emerge?
A: It is called meconium.  It is the leftover coloring and tissues from the wing formation.  It is not blood.

Raise your own butterfly pavilion.

Witness the wonder of the butterfly life cycle with this amazing educational experience. The 2-foot tall, newly redesigned Butterfly Pavilion “pops-up” easily. Hang it from a string or set it on a table-top. Its see-through mesh and zippered entry allows easy access for care and feeding.

Includes Pavilion habitat, 10 Painted Lady butterfly larvae with special food and complete instructions. Six butterflies are guaranteed to be perfect specimens. Please allow approximately 3 weeks for your larvae to develop. Available only in the Continental U.S. Ages 4 & up.

Raise your own Butterfly Garden

Watch caterpillars change into butterflies right before your eyes with Butterfly Garden! Raise 5 Painted Lady butterflies while learning all about metamorphosis. See the caterpillar’s transition as it matures, changes into a chrysalis, and finally emerges as a Painted Lady butterfly! Absolutely safe to release into the environment.

Includes colorful habitat, free certificate for 5 butterfly larvae with special food, and complete instructions. Three butterflies are guaranteed to be perfect specimens. Available only in the Continental U.S. Ages 4 & up.

Raise your own Butterflies
P.O. Box 2243
Winter Park, FL 32790
Call 1(407) 754-2353
info@raiseyourownbutterflies.com
©2002- Butterfly Release Company
profile  I   services   I   projects  I   products   I   referrals   I   links   I   order   I   contact   I   home
Site Design & Hosting by CFLNET