Process diagram: Life cycle of a butterfly

The diagram shows the stages in the life cycle of a butterfly, from egg to adult and back to egg.

Overall, the cycle has eight stages. The butterfly passes through four different forms, namely egg, larva, pupa and adult, and the cycle is completed when the adult lays new eggs. It is only in the final stage that the insect is able to mate.

First, the female butterfly lays eggs on a host plant. After about a week, the eggs hatch and tiny larvae emerge. The larva, known as a caterpillar, then feeds on leaves and grows rapidly. During this period of growth, the caterpillar sheds its skin several times in a process called moulting.

When the caterpillar is fully grown, it attaches itself to a twig and a chrysalis, or pupa, is formed. Inside the chrysalis, the body is completely transformed in a stage known as metamorphosis. Subsequently, the adult butterfly breaks out of the chrysalis and dries its wings.

In the final stage, the adults mate, and the female lays new eggs, so that the cycle can begin again.