Hobbies And Interests
Egg
Female butterflies lay eggs on, under or near vegetation that the newly hatched caterpillar will eat. The butterfly tries to lay the eggs where they will be protected, such as deep on a plant, near interior leaves. The eggs stick to the plant with a glue-like substance that is produced by the mother when they are laid either individually or as part of a small cluster. Despite the use of this sticky substance, many of the eggs fall to the ground and are ruined.
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the equivalent of butterfly larvae. They hatch from the eggs and begin a life of gorging on leafy food. Caterpillars are often furry and have worm-like bodies with small legs. Unlike worms, however, caterpillars move by pulling their rear legs forward and pushing their bodies in an undulating or wave-like motion from the back to the front.
Molting
In order to progress from the larval stage, most caterpillars molt their larval skin, revealing a chrysalis that hardens and protects the insect as it develops into its final stage. During this stage, the caterpillar's body is developing wings and longer legs. In fact, even before the caterpillar begins molting, it is already a semi-formed butterfly. The wings, however, were developing under the skin. The butterfly frees itself from the larval skin after 10 to 14 days and then flies away.
Butterfly
Butterflies have three main body parts--head, thorax and abdomen--and six legs. The butterfly also has an exoskeleton and two antennae. The insect can only fly in air that is between 60 and 108 degrees Fahrenheit. Because they are cold blooded, they rely on outside heat to give them enough warmth to be able to fly. When a butterfly gets too hot, it will puddle, which means it will land on a puddle and sip the water until it has enough energy to fly.