How long is the life cycle of a swallowtail butterfly?
Black Swallowtail Life Cycle: Overview and Timings
| Stage | Typical Duration |
|---|---|
| Egg stage | Generally 4 to 10 days, depending on temperature and host plant |
| Caterpillar (larval) stage | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Chrysalis (pupal) stage | 10 to 20 days (except for overwintering pupae) |
| Adult butterfly stage | 6 to 14 days |
How long does it take for a black swallowtail caterpillar to turn into a butterfly?
Monarch caterpillars are generally reliable in taking 10-14 days to eclose, or make the transition from chrysalis to butterfly. Swallowtails, in contrast, can take a few weeks to many months to emerge. Their unpredictability is also manifested in the varied color of the chrysalis that results from the final morphing.
How do you know when a swallowtail caterpillar is ready to pupate?
When the caterpillar finds a good spot, it will hang in a “J” formation until it is ready to create its chrysalis. The caterpillar may hang like this for days before it actually pupates, but once it begins pupating, the process only takes a few minutes.
Do swallowtails chrysalis?
They live for months as a chrysalis, almost in a type of ‘suspended animation’. They aren’t developing inside. Instead they are waiting for the essential triggers that will take them out of diapause, restarting metamorphosis. A swallowtail butterfly may stay a chrysalis for over a year.
How long is each stage of a butterfly’s life cycle?
Butterflies and moths undergo complete metamorphosis, in which there are four distinct stages: egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa, and adult. Monarch development from egg to adult is completed in about 30 days.
What are the 4 stages of the life cycle of a butterfly?
The young (called a larva instead of a nymph) is very different from the adults. It also usually eats different types of food. There are four stages in the metamorphosis of butterflies and moths: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
Do black swallowtail butterflies overwinter?
Like Tiger Swallowtails, Black Swallowtails overwinter as pupa inside a chrysalis. The chrysalis may be brown or green to blend in with the color of its environment. Black Swallowtails attach their chrysalis to plant stems, sticks and rocks, usually within a meter of the ground.