Life Cycle of a Butterfly — Interactive Diagram
Follow a butterfly through its four amazing stages of complete metamorphosis.
TL;DR: Follow a butterfly through its four amazing stages of complete metamorphosis.
Written & reviewed by the Syllab.in Academic Team (CBSE/NCERT subject experts) · Updated
Life Cycle of a Butterfly: Follow a butterfly through its four amazing stages of complete metamorphosis.
Why it matters: The egg → larva → pupa → adult cycle is the classic example of complete metamorphosis, asked across primary and middle school science.
Life Cycle of a Butterfly — Step by Step
- STAGE 1 — EGG: a female butterfly lays tiny eggs on a leaf.
- STAGE 2 — LARVA (caterpillar): the egg hatches into a caterpillar that eats leaves and grows quickly.
- STAGE 3 — PUPA (chrysalis): the caterpillar forms a hard case and changes completely inside.
- STAGE 4 — ADULT: a beautiful butterfly emerges, ready to fly and lay eggs — and the cycle begins again!
Quick Notes — the Exam Crux
- A butterfly undergoes complete metamorphosis with four distinct stages.
- Egg: laid by the adult on a leaf.
- Larva (caterpillar): eats leaves and grows rapidly.
- Pupa (chrysalis): a resting case inside which the body reorganises.
- Adult: the winged butterfly emerges, ready to reproduce.
- "Complete" metamorphosis means the larva looks nothing like the adult.
Remember It (Memory Trick)
Four stages: Egg → Larva (caterpillar) → Pupa (chrysalis) → Adult. "Every Little Person Ages." This complete change is called metamorphosis.
Real-Life Example
The caterpillars munching on curry-leaf or lemon plants in the garden will seal into a pupa and later emerge as butterflies — the same insect, completely transformed.
Test Yourself
Name the four stages of a butterfly's life cycle in order.
Egg → larva (caterpillar) → pupa (chrysalis) → adult.
What is the stage called where the caterpillar rests and transforms?
The pupa (chrysalis) stage.
What do we call this kind of complete body change?
Metamorphosis (complete metamorphosis).
More Visual Lessons
- The Water Cycle
- States of Matter
- Phases of the Moon
- The Solar System
- The Rock Cycle
- The Greenhouse Effect
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