Heavenly Butterflies?

 

Was thinking of a critter

Who's worm like, short and green,

It would be in the Spring time

When it is mainly seen. 

We call them 'caterpillars'

Most common, green and small,

Their existance seems so futile

They move and eat, that's all.

But THEN it seems they slumber,

Wrapped up in a cocoon,

Know not the happenings within,

Though change, it DOES come, soon.

Cocoon is a protector

As changes they do form,

From creeping worm-like insect,

To vibrant coloured 'norm'

They then fly, oh so graceful,

 A joy, to every eye,

Those creatures, they do flutter,

As new form, - Butterfly.

Considering our own lives,

While striving, here on earth,

For many of us struggle

Many years, after birth.

However, if we're READY

A new life WE will share,

As "butterflies" in Heaven,

We'll live without a care.

Caterpillars are the larval stage of Lepidoptera species, meaning butterflies and moths. Many insects go through a similar lifecycle, starting as an egg, which hatches into larvae, then enters a pupal form and finally emerges as an adult. This cycle has perhaps been made most famous by butterfly species, which are held up as examples of these four stages, but beetles, flies and other insect species also go through it.

Also read: Is a Caterpillar an Insect? (Explained)

From egg to caterpillar

The life of a moth or butterfly starts as an egg. What this egg looks like, how big it is, and whether it’s snuggled up beside siblings or out on its own is highly variable depending on the species. Seen without any additional aid, these eggs can look small and uninteresting, little blobs of white or yellow on a leaf’s underside. Yet under a magnifying glass, they are stunning structures, looking like tiny sculptures. The egg of the purple hairstreak butterfly looks like a small white sea urchin, while that of the orange-tip butterfly resembles a tiny orange cocoa pod.

The small white butterfly will gently lay a single egg before moving on to find a suitable home for another. By comparison, the peacock butterfly is liberal with its egg-laying, placing around 400 in a single location. The rate of hatching also varies. Most eggs hatch within a few days, though some may take two-three weeks. Some species, such as the banded hairstreak, overwinter as an egg, meaning they do not hatch for several months; however, this is relatively unusual.

From caterpillar to pupa

The life of a caterpillar is focused on growing and eating. WE HAVE TO FEED ON HIS WORD -The amount they eat will affect their chances as an adult, and therefore the likelihood they will have offspring. Most caterpillars go from egg to pupa in 1-3 weeks. However some, like the grizzled skipper, take two months.

Those that overwinter as caterpillars can stay in this form even longer, and the most extreme example has to be the banded woolly bear caterpillar. This caterpillar lives for up to fourteen years in its larval form. It has adapted to freeze solid during the winter, without damaging its body, unfreezing in the spring and continuing to eat.