A Butterfly is an insect and is well known for their usual life cycle transforming
from a caterpillar into a familiar and colorful winged adult. Butterflies can
be often seen every where in the world and also in Butterflies are generally found
in temperate regions, snowy mountains, deserts, and jungles. In fact, except Antarctica,
butterflies live on every continent.
There is an estimate of 17,500 species
of butterflies living in this world. There are four stages in the lifecycle of
a butterfly mentioned below:
1. Egg
2. Larva, Known as a caterpillar
3.
Pupa and
4. Adult Butterfly
It is a popular belief that butterflies
have very short life spans. However, butterflies in their adult stage can live
from a week to nearly a year depending on the species. They have three pairs of
legs like other insects. Butterflies vary greatly in size. The smallest butterfly
has wing expanses as small as about 16100 inch. Butterflies are usually brightly
in color.
Butterflies feed on the nectar of flowers and on other plant
liquids. Butterflies have many enemies. In fact, they are a favorite food of birds.
But butterflies, when at rest look like dead leaves or the twigs and bark of trees.
They can change color according to the surrounding and therefore they are difficult
for birds to spot.
