Nature is full of different animal species. Many of them have bright colors, attractive shapes, gentle character, subtlety of walking, extraordinary abilities, etc.
In view of this great variety of species, many people dedicate themselves to studying them and trying to determine why they behave in a certain way, what causes them to manifest a certain characteristic, what is the reason for a distinctive trait and much more. Everything, with the interest of imitating their strengths, bringing them to technology and benefiting humanity.
One of the most striking and curious animals are butterflies. There is a great variety of this species, one more beautiful than the other. Whether alone or in groups, butterflies are a real sight to behold.
They are related to many myths, fables and fantastic tales, such as fairies, enchanted forests and other elements that are products of the human imagination. However, despite appearing ethereal, they are real and live among us.
They are so fragile that, if they are taken with great force, they can cause irreversible damage and even cause death. Therefore, it is best to let them fly in the wind and watch them perch from flower to flower extracting their sweet nectar.
However, have you ever wondered how butterflies are born? How do they reproduce? How does this natural process occur? What factors intervene? If you like butterflies and you are interested in this topic, you cannot stop reading it.
This article has been written with the intention of making known more about the life of these beautiful and unique animals. It is likely that, until now, you only know some general information about them. Now you will have the opportunity to get to know them more closely. Therefore, do not miss any details of this article. Let’s see it.
Instructions for butterflies reproduce
The life expectancy of butterflies varies depending on the species. Some manage to survive a few weeks, while others can survive for a whole year. On the other hand, factors such as the climate and the amount of food are essential in determining their survival.
The body of butterflies is divided into three parts: head, thorax and abdomen, and the abdomen are where their vital organs and reproductive system are located. On the other hand, males and females present variations in their physiognomy, such as shape, color and size. Being the males larger than their partners.
The cycle of butterflies originates from the reproduction process, which can be divided into two stages: courtship and mating.
The courtship
This is a fundamental aspect in the reproduction of butterflies. In it, the male is in charge of carrying out different reconnaissance flights, in order to look for the females. In addition, they attract your attention by doing pirouettes and spreading pheromones.
At the same time, the females respond to the call by also releasing pheromones, which a male is capable of perceiving, even if he is almost two kilometers away.
After the female has been located, the male is in charge of flapping his wings over her, in order to fill his antennae with the small scales that he releases, which contain pheromones and make the female ready for mating.
Mating
At this time, both butterflies unite through the tips of their abdomens, facing different directions, so that, in this way, the exchange of gametes is generated.
The male places his reproductive organ inside the female’s abdomen and expels a sac called a spermatophore, which, as its name implies, contains the sperm. On her part, the female’s orifice receives it and begins to fertilize the eggs, which are inside her body.
In most species of butterflies, this process occurs in those places where they can remain without moving, such as on a rock, on a leaf, etc. While this process lasts, they become easy targets for their predators, which is why some have even developed the ability to mate while they are flying in the air.
Now that you know what the reproduction process of butterflies is, you need to find out how they are born.
What do you need for butterflies to reproduce?
After the mating process, the next step in butterfly reproduction is metamorphosis, which begins from the moment the female releases the eggs she carries inside her body.
Depending on what type of butterfly it is, the number of eggs can vary greatly, from only about 25 to 10 thousand eggs. These are placed on leaves, stems, branches and even fruits of different trees.
It should be noted that each type of butterfly uses a particular plant species, which contains the necessary nutrients, so that its specimens can develop correctly in their different stages.
Despite this, only 2% of the total number of eggs reaches adulthood, since most are eaten by predators or die due to weather conditions, such as rain, gusts of wind, etc.
Its metamorphosis occurs in the following stages:
- The egg: it measures only a few millimeters and has different shapes. For example, cylindrical, round, oval, etc.
- The larva or caterpillar: when it has hatched, the larva feeds on the remains of it and continues to eat until it grows. At this stage he is able to change his exoskeleton.
- The pupa: when the caterpillar reaches its ideal size, it stops feeding and begins to make a chrysalis with leaves or with its own silk and, while there, its body undergoes a transformation and produces new tissues.
- Adult: when the metamorphosis process has finished, the butterfly breaks the chrysalis and comes to the surface. After that, you must wait at least 4 hours before taking flight. While that is happening, your body is in charge of pumping fluids to harden.
When he is finally able to fly, he takes it upon himself to find his mate to start the breeding cycle again.
It is not possible to determine how long it takes for a butterfly to emerge from the chrysalis, since this depends on different factors, such as its species, its diet while it is a larva and the weather conditions where it is found.
Tips for butterflies to reproduce
Given that the number of butterflies has begun to decline alarmingly, it is important to know what you can do to help this species continue to live for many more years.
It all starts with caterpillar care. You should keep them in a container of about four liters of water covered with a cheese cloth. This way you will prevent them from escaping and you will give them a safe and ventilated environment. Do not put more than two or three caterpillars together, as they will need space when they hatch.
Clean the container daily to remove all debris, place sticks where they can escape, and feed them fresh leaves daily.
Next, you’ll need to take care of the chrysalises. To do this, you must keep the environment nice and humid so that the chrysalises do not dry out. Use a spray bottle to mist the inside of the container every so often.
You should also make sure they are in a proper position. If the chrysalis is too close to the bottom of the container, the butterflies will not be able to spread their wings when they emerge and therefore their wings will not develop in the best way and as a consequence they will not be able to fly.
When the butterfly has emerged and becomes an adult capable of flight, this will be the time to release it. That way, you’ll enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that you’ve contributed to helping your local butterfly population grow.
