The caterpillar is the larval stage in the butterfly life cycle.

The caterpillar is the larval stage in the butterfly life cycle.

After the egg hatches, it may start it's eating binge by eating the shell of the egg from which it hatched. Most butterfly larva will eat the host plant its egg was laid on. Some eat flower buds, seeds or roots.


A larva is often well camouflaged in shades of greens and browns. Some look like bird droppings. Others like the milkweed larva, are brightly colored to warn off those who would eat it. The milkweed larva tastes bad. It gets this bad taste from eating the milkweed plant, it's host plant. The photo is of Milkweed butterfly larva on a milkweed pod. Other larva are covered with spines, false eye spots and other markings.

Most larva eat alone. But some eat in groups

It alternates periods of feeding and resting during the day.

If it survives predators and disease long enough, it will grow to be a mature larva. In this larval stage it's skin is still soft. Is is vulnerable to parasites that try to lay their eggs within the caterpillars. These parasites would then hatch and eat it.

Caterpillars may grow for two to four weeks. It accumulates enough fat to go through metamorphosis and change into a butterfly. It's skin will only stretch a small amount. When it can no longer stretch anymore it grows a new skin. It will molt or shed it's skin four to six times during the larval growing stage. It sheds its old skin starting with the head. After shrugging off the old skin, it will expand its body with air to get rid of the old skin before the new skin hardens. The new skin is soft and moist.

Once it reaches the size it needs to be, it stops eating. It will look very swollen. It will stop moving and stay very still. It may wag the front portion of it's body from side to side and may wander away from the food plant.

It then looks for a place to pupate. If it will change while hanging from a plant, it spins a silken pad with its lower lip or jaw spinnerets. This silken pad anchors it to the plant. The caterpillar holds onto the silk pad with it's rear claspers. It hangs upside down from the pad. Others species spin a silken harness to secure it to the plant.

If it is close to winter, the caterpillar may crawl into leaf litter, a log pile or other sheltered spot. The chrysalis may turn brown to better camouflage in the brown of the log or leaf litter.

It may remain still for about a day, as the pupal skin forms under the old skin. It molts one final time into a pupa or chrysalis.

The metamorphosis from caterpillar to chrysalis is the next stage in the butterfly life cycle.


More Butterfly Information

Butterfly Life Cycle
egg
larva
chrysalis
adult

Where to find them
The most common butterfly species
Seven butterfly families
Spring butterflies

Attracting Butterflies
Top nectar plants
Top host plants


Field Guides
Black Butterflies
Mourning Cloak Butterfly
Swallowtail Butterflies

Return From Butterfly Caterpillar to Butterfly Life Cycle