Life Cycles Education Pack
This pack will provide you with information to support your education session at Butterfly World.
Animals mentioned in this pack which can usually be seen at Butterfly World have their name shown
in red.
Life cycles
Your talk will describe the life cycle of the Owl Butterfly in age appropriate terms. The life cycle of all
Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) is made up of four stages:
 Egg or ovum
 Caterpillar or larva
 Chrysalis or pupa
 Adult or imago
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Lepidoptera along with many other insects undergo metamorphosis inside the pupa. The word
metamorphosis comes from the Greek words – ‘meta’ to change and ‘morph’ shape. Some
books say that a butterfly emerges from a cocoon. The word cocoon refers to a protective
covering which is spun around some moth caterpillars before they turn into a pupa. Certain
moth species spin cocoons, but no butterfly species does. A butterfly emerges from a chrysalis.
Insect Body Parts
All insects have 6 jointed legs and a body divided into three parts called the head, the thorax and the
abdomen. Insects breathe through openings in their bodies called spiracles which carry oxygen and
carbon dioxide directly to and from the cells.
Head
The head contains compound eyes for seeing, antennae for smelling and different types of mouth
parts or in some moths no mouth parts at all. Most Lepidoptera have a proboscis which is like a
double straw to suck up the nectar from deep inside flowers.
Thorax
This segment includes the six jointed legs and wings. Lepidoptera have 4 long legs and 2 short
vestigial legs and use their feet to taste. The word Lepidoptera means ’scaly wings’. Lepidoptera
have 2 separate pairs of wings, called forewings and hind wings. These wings are covered with tiny
scales which help to reflect light, creating their patterns and colour. Lepidoptera should not be
touched on the wings as this could harm the butterflies by damaging the delicate scales.
Abdomen
The abdomen contains the digestive organs, reproductive parts including the sting in female bees
and the excretory organs.
Why are insects important?
Insects are important for many reasons including pollination, decomposition, and food chains.
Pollination
Insects have evolved alongside flowering plants. Butterflies feed on the nectar produced by flowers
and some insects (eg. Zebra Longwing butterfly and bees) also feed on the pollen. All insects transfer
pollen from the male parts of one flower to the female parts of another, thus pollinating the flower
and enabling it to develop seeds. Without insect pollinators there would be no fruit or vegetables.
Decomposition
Decomposition, which means waste material being returned to the soil as nutrients, is carried out by
tiny organisms (bacteria and fungi). Insects and other invertebrates play their part by breaking down
the material first – for instance the dung beetle creates balls of dung or faeces, rolls this to a safe
site where it will lay an egg on it. The larva then feed on the dung, breaking it down. In the wild
Lepidoptera sometimes drink from pools of urine or from faeces, using the salts found there.
Cockroaches are also good decomposers, eating any human food they find.
Many other invertebrates also decompose matter such as earthworms and millipedes which you will
see here at Butterfly World. Rainforest species tend to be larger due to a constant supply of food.
Food Chains
Invertebrates such as insects are a very important element of many food chains. Numbers of insects
can be a problem because they breed in very large numbers when there is an ample supply of food.
Other insects have evolved to eat these excesses, for instance, ladybirds eat aphids, and praying
mantises eat any passing animal that comes within their reach. Humans can make use of this process
as a form of pest control.
Without insect involvement in pollination, decomposition and pest control the world would be a
very different place!
We can all help our environment by following a few simple steps;
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Plant insect friendly plants.
Reduce and restrict our use of insecticides and use biological methods of pest control.
Leave areas of the garden deliberately untidy, providing insects with nooks and crannies to
hibernate and shelter.
By doing these things, you will soon see an increase in the numbers and range of different wildlife
visiting your garden.