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9016 Robyn Rd
St Louis MO 63126
Phone: 314-849-6114
Copyright © 2006
The Tom Terrific Company LLC
Basic Butterfly Biology and Gardening Terms
Here's some basic butterfly biology and garden terms to help you.
Butterflies are insects and have 4 stages of life.
1. Egg...the Female butterfly lays eggs on specific "host" plants.
2. Caterpillar or Larval...these are the caterpillars you might see on your plants. They have tremendous appetites and as a result have an incredible and continuous growth spurt.
3. Chrysalis or Pupa...The caterpillar wriggles out of it's skin and the new outer covering hardens into this form. It might stay in this shape for two weeks.
4. Butterfly...the butterfly breaks out of the outer shell and the process starts all over.
* Metamorphosis is the term to describe the entire four step process.
* Dead-Head...cutting off the old spent flower blossoms to encourage the growth of new flowers.
* Nectar is the juice from the flowers.
* Proboscis...this is the straw-like tube which butterflies use to suck up nectar from flowers.
While caterpillars have mouths which they use to chew up leaves, the butterflies only have a proboscis
to suck in liquid.
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