What is the transformation of a caterpillar to a butterfly?

What is the transformation of a caterpillar to a butterfly?

One day, the caterpillar stops eating, hangs upside down from a twig or leaf and spins itself a silky cocoon or molts into a shiny chrysalis. Within its protective casing, the caterpillar radically transforms its body, eventually emerging as a butterfly or moth.

What characteristic of life is a caterpillar changing into a butterfly?

The butterfly and moth develop through a process called metamorphosis. This is a Greek word that means transformation or change in shape. Insects have two common types of metamorphosis.

What is the biggest change between a caterpillar and a butterfly?

The transformation from the pupa to the adult is the most dramatic change in the life cycle of a butterfly, and scientists refer to this change as metamorphosis. During metamorphosis, the body tissues of the caterpillar are completely reorganised to produce the beautiful adult butterfly that emerges from the pupa.

How long does it take a caterpillar to change to a butterfly?

9 to 14 days
In just 9 to 14 days the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly is complete. Through the chrysalis, the day before the adult emerges, you can see the orange and black wings of the Monarch butterfly inside.

Why do caterpillars not turn into butterflies?

First, not all caterpillars turn into butterflies. Some turn into moths instead. No matter what, all caterpillars go through the same four stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Complete metamorphosis is when the young insect looks different from the adult insect and must change drastically to look like the adult.

Why do caterpillars become butterflies?

Why Caterpillars Turn Into Butterflies While in the form of a caterpillar, these bugs only goal is to eat and grow, gaining the nutrients they need to ultimately become a butterfly. They have no way of reproducing as caterpillars, which is why they must morph into another species to continue their cycle of life.

What is the process of Caterpillar to butterfly?

This process of growing from a caterpillar into a butterfly is called metamorphosis, a rather large word to describe the different stages of a caterpillar finally growing into a butterfly. In simple words, metamorphosis means transformation or change in shape.

How long from Caterpillar to butterfly?

First as an egg, then as a caterpillar, next as a pupa in its chrysalis, and finally, it emerges as a butterfly. This entire process takes about four weeks from start to finish; although the warmer it is, the shorter the cycle.

Which caterpillars turn into butterflies?

Monarch caterpillar . Proleg, Papilio machaon . A caterpillar is a young butterfly or moth that has just hatched out of its egg. A caterpillar is a kind of larva . When it is older, the caterpillar will turn into a pupa (also known as a chrysalis), and then later the pupa will turn into a butterfly.

Where do caterpillars turn into butterflies?

They spend most of their time eating to store energy inside their bodies. When the caterpillar is ready, it hides away inside a tough shell called a pupa, or chrysalis. Inside the chrysalis, its body transforms into the shape of an adult butterfly.