Hobbies And Interests
Life Cycle
A caterpillar emerges from an egg that was laid on the underside of a leaf carefully chosen by the mother. After it has grown sufficiently, the caterpillar is encapsulated within a chrysalis where it will transform and emerge as an adult butterfly.
Features
While egg-bound, the larvae take in water via the micropyle, the entry point of the sperm. Caterpillars spend all their time eating, usually only the variety of leaf they emerged on. During the pupa stage it will not eat. The sole purpose of a butterfly is reproduction.
Time Frame
The life span of a butterfly varies by species. Generally, the less active they are the longer they live.
Function
Many species of males die after they use up all their sperm; many females die after they lay the fertilized eggs.
Expert Insight
Butterflies may seem to transform completely, but findings of researchers claim that there must be some neural structure that survives the change; butterflies have demonstrated the ability to retain knowledge from the caterpillar stage to the adult stage.