Butterfly
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthopoda
Class: Insect
Order: Lepidoptera
Life Cycle:
Insects in the order Lepidoptera go through four distinct life stages, and thus are said to undergo complete metamorphosis. The first is the egg stage, which takes place on leaves and can last a few weeks. Next is the larva, or caterpillar stage. In this stage, the caterpillar eats constantly and molts numerous times, until it increases in size considerably. The insect rests in the pupa stage, as it awaits transformation. The adult stage of a butterfly is called the imago, which is also the sexually active stage (Wilson, 2008) .
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthopoda
Class: Insect
Order: Lepidoptera
Life Cycle:
Insects in the order Lepidoptera go through four distinct life stages, and thus are said to undergo complete metamorphosis. The first is the egg stage, which takes place on leaves and can last a few weeks. Next is the larva, or caterpillar stage. In this stage, the caterpillar eats constantly and molts numerous times, until it increases in size considerably. The insect rests in the pupa stage, as it awaits transformation. The adult stage of a butterfly is called the imago, which is also the sexually active stage (Wilson, 2008) .
Dragonfly
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthopoda Class: Insect Order: Odonata Life Cycle: Dragonflies undergo incomplete metamorphosis as they don't form a cocoon or pupate, and so have three stages during their life cycle. During the egg stage, the eggs are laid submerged in still water. Depending on the climate, dragonflies can spend anywhere from five days to a full year in this stage. Dragonflies are called nymphs when they hatch, and they can spend up to four years in this stage. Nymphs are great predators, and can molt up to twelve times until reaching adulthood. Dragonflies are sexually active in their adult form, and can finally disperse and spend their lives as predators (Dragonfly Life Cycle, 2015). |