Unfortunately, butterflies do not have very long lifespans.Butterflies are the adult stage of the life cycle.Many factors can contribute to how long a butterfly may live.
Butterflies are beautiful and remarkable creatures, and a source of unending amazement. Here are some facts about butterfly that you never knew:
Butterflies taste with their feetButterflies are cold blooded and need warmer climate to surviveButterflies survive solely by drinking liquidsThe wings that they have are actually transparent and also protect them from predatorsTheir wings are divided in four parts and not two as popularly believedThere are around hundred thousand different species of butterflies around the world
Despite the romantic notions surrounding the butterflies, the sad fact is that they tend to have relatively short lifespans and most butterflies only live a few weeks at the most. In fact, the longest-lived adult butterfly has a lifespan of only one year. However, different species of butterflies have different lifespans.
How Long Does the Average Butterfly Live?
Scientists usually study butterfly lifespans and habits by marking them in the wild and then either recapturing or sighting them later and recording the data. While they can also study them in captivity, it is always best to study creatures in their natural habitats in order to get the most complete picture of how they live their lives. Butterflies in the wild are exposed to many more dangers and predators, so studying them this way gives scientists a more accurate view of how long they typically live. On average, most adult butterflies only live for about 15-29 days. Some may live up to six weeks, and the ones that migrate to more tropical climates may live even longer before they return home to mate.
The Life Cycle of a Butterfly
Butterflies live their lives in four stages: egg, caterpillar, pupa, and butterfly
Egg
In the egg stage, a mother butterfly will lay her eggs on a plant that will provide proper nutrition for the larvae when they hatch. The eggs typically hatch after about a week, but the eggs of some species may take more or less time. Butterflies usually take a “quantity” approach to egg-laying, so they will lay many eggs in the hope that a small portion of them will survive.
Caterpillar
This is also known as the larval stage. A caterpillar’s entire existence revolves around eating as much as possible in order to grow and store up as many nutrients as it can. It uses this stored food later as an adult, so it’s essential for the caterpillar to eat well during this stage. Did you know that caterpillars can grow up to 100 times their original size during this phase of their lives? They have tough exoskeletons, so they must molt and shed their skin many times as they continue to grow. For some species, such as the Black Swallowtail, molting can significantly change the caterpillar’s appearance. On average, caterpillars live in this stage for up to five weeks, depending on the species.
Pupa
This is more commonly known as the chrysalis stage. When a caterpillar has become fully grown and no longer needs to eat, it begins this transitional phase of its life. A few species of butterfly will spin themselves a silk cocoon, but the majority will simply anchor themselves to a safe place and harden into a chrysalis. How long this stage lasts can vary significantly among different butterfly species. Some may only remain in a chrysalis for a couple of weeks, but others can stay in this state for up to two years. During this transitional stage, the larva inside of the chrysalis completely liquefies, and special cells that were dormant before now activate to transform the caterpillar into its final adult form.
Adult
Once the adult butterfly emerges from its protective shell, it’s now ready to reproduce and begin the life cycle all over again. Because the only job of an adult butterfly is to mate and lay eggs, most species do not feed at all. This is why it’s so essential for caterpillars to store up as much food as possible so that they can live as healthy adults.
What Affects a Butterfly’s Lifespan?
There are many factors that influence how long a butterfly lives.
How Long Do Butterflies Live: Size
In general, smaller butterflies do not live as long as larger ones.
How Long Do Butterflies Live: Species
Certain species are able to live longer than others. For example, Monarch butterflies often live for several months because they will migrate to warmer climates.
How Long Do Butterflies Live: Temperature
Butterflies are cold-blooded, so the ambient temperature also affects how long they live. Tropical and migratory butterflies tend to live longer because they spend more time in favorable climates. In addition, if butterfly eggs are laid in cold weather, they will remain as eggs until warmer weather comes around.
How Long Do Butterflies Live: Captivity
As mentioned earlier, butterflies that live in the wild often have much shorter lifespans because they are exposed to nature. There are predators like birds and larger insects in the wild, and factors like sudden temperature changes or habitat shifts can drastically shorten a butterfly’s lifespan. While butterflies that live in captivity still have relatively short lifespans, they will almost always far outlive their natural life expectancy. This is because they have access to ample nutrients as caterpillars, a safe environment as pupae, and a controlled, predator-free environment as adults.
Longest Lifespan – Brimstone Butterfly
While most butterflies only live a few months, if even that, the brimstone butterfly can actually survive up to 13 months! The stunning yellow butterfly is found across Europe, Asia, and even North Africa but is mainly found in northern England. Hibernating through the cold winters allows these butterflies to live as long as they do, over a year!
Fun Facts About the Butterfly Lifespan
Did you know that many species of adult butterflies are born without mouths? Some are able to sip nectar from flowers, but most species rely on the nutrients they were able to store as caterpillars. This is why adults tend to have a short lifespan.Only one or two out of every 100 butterfly eggs survives to the caterpillar stage. Because so many eggs are lost to predators and disease, female butterflies will lay hundreds of eggs at once.Some butterflies live longer by hibernating in safe, warm places during the winter. Others, like the North American monarch butterfly, migrate across the country to spend the cold months in places like California.
Up Next…
Now that you have an understanding of butterfly lifespans, take a look at these articles to find out more on other insects!
Ant Lifespan: How Long Do Ants Live? – Small but mighty, do these creepy crawlies live very long?Wasp Lifespan: How Long Do Wasps Live? – Wasps are probably a fear for everyone, but how long do you have to worry about them if they’re in your house?Moth Lifespan: How Long Do Moths Live? – Moths and butterflies seem the same but are actually quite different.
