Egg, caterpillar and butterfly
The peacock butterfly can be found in several stages of development. So the small green caterpillars hatch from the eggs laid in spring. They grow and moult several times until they finally pupate. The metamorphosis to the butterfly begins. The individual stages of life of this insect species are of different lengths.
also read
- Peacock butterfly - profile of a beautiful butterfly!
- Peacock butterfly - how the butterfly safely hibernates
- The peacock butterfly has a large habitat
The egg laying
The wintering of the adult butterflies is over in spring. They fly out to collect the first nectar, for example from pussy willows that bloom early. They lay their eggs on the underside of the leaves of the nettles. This is because their caterpillars only feed on this plant.
The “age” of the eggs extends from the time they are laid until the 3 mm caterpillars hatch. This is usually the case after about 2-3 weeks.
Peacock caterpillars
At the beginning the caterpillars are green with vertical stripes. You develop in giant strides. After several moults and 3-4 weeks later, they are large, black, with white spots. The time has come to pupate. This means that the caterpillars only reach a modest age. The “conversion” to a butterfly starts.
The beginning of the butterfly life
The shell of the pupa is transparent, so the hatching of the butterfly can already be observed after two weeks:
- wing drawings are recognizable
- the butterfly tears at predetermined seams
- forces himself out of the cocoon
- the wings are filled with air and blood
- this makes them hard and airworthy
Tips
Do you like observing insects? With caterpillars from the breeder or the BUND, you can breed your own peacock butterfly in May and June.
Lifespan of the butterfly
We can see with our own eyes that the peacock butterfly lives the warm time of the year. In autumn all trace of him seems to disappear. But that is deceptive.
- the butterfly has found shelter
- in a cave, tree hole, etc. Ä.
- even in cool rooms of human dwellings
The butterfly survives winter and mates in spring. Its lifespan is therefore at least one year. In particularly advantageous habitats, an age of max. two years.
Tips
You can read more information about appearance, habitat, food and predators in the profile.
