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Life
Cycle of a Butterfly
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Egg Stage
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Larva Stage
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Pupa Stage
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Adult Stage
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Egg
Stage |
The female
butterfly lays an egg on a plant.
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Larva
Stage |
The egg
hatches and the larva (caterpillar) comes out.
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Pupa
Stage |
The caterpillar
feeds on the plant and grows. When its skin becomes too small, the
old skin splits open and the caterpillar pops out with a new skin on. This
happens four or five times. When the caterpillar is fully grown it makes
a little silk pad on a leaf or twig and attaches itself to it. The caterpillar's
skin splits for the last time. It is now in the pupa stage.
Under
the skin is the chrysalis. Many changes happen to the chrysalis. The wings,
legs and rest of the butterfly are formed inside the chrysalis.
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Adult
Stage |
The last
stage is the adult stage when the chrysalis splits and the butterfly comes
out.
