COMMON MORMON -: Swallowtail Butterfly
We all loved watching butterflies in our childhood, but very few people know that becoming butterfly is the last stage in the life cycle of a butterfly. Before this, there are 4 stages in the life cycle of a butterfly.
1. Egg
2. Larva (caterpillar)
3. Pupa ( chrysalis)
4. Adult butterfly
Host plant-:
The plant that the butterfly lays it's eggs and caterpillar eat is called the host plant. Eg-:
1. Eggs: Lime Butterfly will definitely be laying eggs if you have citrus plants in your garden.
Butterfly lays eggs on the top and bottom of the leaves. It takes about two or four days for the eggs to hatch, then the baby caterpillars start eating the leaves.
2. Larva: (caterpillar)
The caterpillar is the second stage of the butterfly's life cycle.
Mormon caterpillar go through five instars. In common language, caterpillar changes its skin five times while eating the leaves.
Caterpillar are also the best food source of many predators such as birds and wasps, however some caterpillars survive for next stage. Swallowtail Caterpillar have a hidden organ under their head called an osmeterium, which resembles a snake's tongue.
when caterpillar senses danger, expels the osmeterium, which sacres off predators and also emits a foul odor.
The caterpillar only purpose in life is to eat and be eaten.
3. Pupa: (chrysalis) After eating the citrus leaves for several days, the caterpillar stops eating and leave the host plant to find a safe place to form the chrysalis. This stage is the most dangerous stage of its life, when the caterpillar forms chrysalis it cannot defend itself from predators.
When the caterpillar is ready to become a pupa, it attaches to its body with silk threads and hang in a 'C' shape for the next 24 hours. The next day it forms a chrysalis, in simple language changes (its skin and forms a protective shell where its old body dies and a new body is formed) have a look.
It stays inside its chrysalis for next 10 to 20 days.
When the caterpillar is ready to become a pupa, it attaches to its body with silk threads and hang in a 'C' shape for the next 24 hours. The next day it forms a chrysalis, in simple language changes (its skin and forms a protective shell where its old body dies and a new body is formed) have a look.
It stays inside its chrysalis for next 10 to 20 days.
NOTE- I notice one thing, it depends on what the weather is like. The butterfly emerges in 7 to 10 days when temperature is hot (may to jun). 20 to 30 days in the cold(August to September) and in October or November the chrysalis forming caterpillar stay inside it until spring arrives.
4. Adult Butterfly: After spending several days inside the chrysalis, the body of the butterfly is fully formed. 10 to15 hours before the butterfly is ready to emerge, the chrysalis darkens and becomes transparent
you can even se the butterfly wings inside the chrysalis with your naked eyes.
Most butterflies emerge from the chrysalis before sunrise.
6:30 am in the morning
6:30 am in the morning
The moment.
Crazy experience!
Just Wow.
Note-: Butterflies are also pollinators as are bees and moth. But we humans change the whole climate. The use of pesticides, felling of trees and shrubs, pollinators suffered a lot from diseases. Some species of butterflies have become extinct or are on the verge of extinction.
Butterfly's are natural indicators of a good environment. Most people kill caterpillars because they don't like it when an insect eats the leave of the plant there. Spread awareness for planet earth and mankind. Plant trees in your homes, use organic pesticides, otherwise our future generation will never be able to see the wonders of Nature.
Yt link 🔗 EGG TO ADULT SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY
Comments
Post a Comment