Hobbies And Interests
Egg
Ladybugs usually deposit their eggs on the underside of a leaf, near a food source such as aphids or mites. Females can lay between 200 and 1,000 eggs but generally in smaller clusters of 10 to 15 eggs per location. The eggs are small, yellow and spindle-shaped, approximately 1 mm in size. Like ladybugs, butterflies often deposit their eggs on the underside of a leaf. The eggs vary greatly in size between species, but all are either spherical or ovoid.
Larva
Ladybug eggs hatch into soft, flat and elongated larvae that resemble miniature alligators. Immediately upon hatching, they begin feeding on their prey. During this phase, they molt or shed their skin many times, growing from about 1 mm to 4 to 7 mm in 10 to 30 days. Butterfly larvae, commonly known as caterpillars, also begin foraging for their preferred food source -- most often plant leaves -- immediately after hatching. Like ladybug larvae, the caterpillar has three true pairs of legs, but it also has up to six pairs of prolegs.
Pupa
After a couple of weeks, the ladybug larva attaches to a leaf to begin the final process of transformation into an adult ladybug. Depending on temperatures, adult ladybugs emerge from this phase after three to 12 days. Butterfly larva, like ladybugs, often adhere to the underside of a leaf to begin the pupal phase. Unlike ladybugs, butterfly larvae form a hard cocoon, or chrysalis, for protection. During this phase, the butterfly's wings form and can often be seen folded against the length of the body.
Adult
In the fourth and final phase, the skin of the ladybug pupa splits open and a full-grown ladybug emerges. At first it will be pale, or pink, and soft, but soon it darkens as the shell hardens. An adult ladybug will live for weeks and even months. The adult butterfly emerges from the chrysalis after development is complete. The wings are wet and soft and usually require three to four hours before the butterfly can fly. The lifespan of a butterfly varies considerably by species.