Life Cycle of a

Painted Lady Butterfly

By: Emma L. and Abby G.

Eggs

•Eggs are the first stage in the butterfly life cycle

•The eggs are smaller then a dime•The eggs are a pale green •Eggs are usually laid on the underside of the leaf

•They can lay more than 100 eggs

Larva• The larva is the second stage of the butterfly’s

life cycle• The larva stage takes about 5 to 10 days to form

the pupa stage• The larva eats and grows until it’s ready to go

into the next stage• The larva molts its exoskeleton

Pupa

The pupa is the third stage of the butterflies life cycle

Metamorphosis is happening inside the pupa stage

The pupa is very still

The pupa hangs off a twig or leaf

Adult

• The last stage in a butterfly’s life cycle is adult

• The adult drinks nectar• The adult has bright colors• The adult will mate and lay eggs• They will lay a lot of eggs because a lot

will not survive• They have 3 body parts a head, thorax,

thorax, and abdomen

Predators

• They can be eaten by birds and crab spiders

• Their colors make them easy to see

• Other larger insects

will eat them

Camouflage and Warningof painted lady butterfly

and others • Butterflies can blend in with their

surroundings

• Butterflies that are poisonous have bright colors to warn other animals

• Some mimic other butterflies that are poisonous Painted lady butterflies mimic the colors of monarch’s to warn they taste bad

Interesting Facts

• A young caterpillar is about 1mm long and when its ready to go into the pupa is about 40mm.

• A kind of fly lays its eggs in a caterpillars stomach

• Because a lot of the eggs are eaten there are many of them

Glossary

• Metamorphosis-change completely

• Mimic-copy another thing

• Exoskeleton-an outer shell

• Proboscis-a straw like tongue