How long does a butterfly's life cycle take?

Answer 1

Butterfly life-cycles vary according to each individual species. You can expect about a week after an egg has been laid before the caterpillar hatches. From there, it can be anywhere from ten days to upwards of six weeks for a larva to eat its way through this next stage where it acquires it nutrition. At this stage, a caterpillar's health is determined; if food is scarce, the caterpillar may pupate earlier and the resulting butterfly will be smaller in size. The pupa stage can last from seven days to several months, depending upon the species. The reason the time is so varied is because depending upon the time of the year, some species may go into diapause or 'overwintering' mode, where the butterfly does not eclose or come out until the following season.

Temperature has an effect on the life-cycle; heat or warmer temps can speed up the life-cycle and cooler temps can pro-long the process.

Overall, you can expect that most butterflies will go from egg to adult butterfly in about a month's time. Just know that this is not going to always be the case!

Answer 2

almost as long as it takes you to have sex and make a baby