Different species of butterflies have different life expectancies for the adult stage. Scientists gain insight into the life span of butterflies by marking them and then recapturing them or seeing them again. How long do butterflies live? The average adult lifespan of a butterfly species is two weeks. One example of this is the Costa Rican butterfly, which had a life span of two days and lived for ten days. An adult butterfly cannot live for more than one year.

What is the average lifespan of caterpillars?

Caterpillars are usually hatched within two to five weeks. However, this can vary depending on the species and when it was born. This stage is considered the most dangerous in an insect's life cycle. It can be a time of high mortality from predators, disease, and weather conditions. Caterpillars are known to eat a lot in a short time. Their body mass increases several thousand times and they shed their exoskeletons when they outgrow them. This happens several times before they become a butterfly.

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What length of time do caterpillars stay in their cocoon?

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