How long can butterflies and moths live?
Some live only a few hours while others live for months and migrate thousands of miles. You can determine the age of butterflies and moths by how many scales have been lost. The more worn the wings appear, the older the butterfly. Their life stages: Butterflies and moths have 4 distinct life stages: egg, caterpillar, pupa, and adult. 1) Egg: Female butterflies use taste pads on their feet to find a plant that their larvae (caterpillars) can eat; here they lay eggs. 2) Caterpillar: The body plan of the caterpillar has a head and 13 body segments. They have 3 pairs of true legs in front and 5 pairs of false legs in the back. Caterpillars need to shed their old skin 4 to 5 times during its life. 3) Pupa: It can take a caterpillar weeks or months to change from the pupa into a butterfly (depending on climate and species). In the pupa stage the larva liquefies and the cells reorganize into the features of an adult. 4) Adult: When the butterfly hatches the wings are wet, wrinkled, and only a
