Butterflies are beautiful no matter where you see them. They are fascinating insects to observe in Virginia’s natural ecosystems, gardens, farms, and other places where they can flutter from flower to flower.
Life cycles of butterflies
According to the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, caterpillars go through four major stages before they become butterflies. During the first three stages, they don’t look anything like butterflies.
- Stage 1: Eggs, the size of a pinhead, are found on host plants.
- Stage 2: Caterpillar, the worm-like creature is the larva.
- Stage 3: Chrysalis is affixed to a plant stem or on fallen leaves.
- Stage 4: The entire egg-to-butterfly process, called metamorphosis, takes about a month.
More than 170 species of butterflies are found in Virginia. The remainder of this article will focus on only a few of them.
Eastern tiger swallowtail
Eastern tiger swallowtail.Photo byPhoto by Andrea Nacarrato/Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources
The eastern tiger swallowtail is Virginia’s state insect. It is a large yellow butterfly with black tiger stripes. One teardrop-shaped tail is on the bottom of each hindwing. Eastern tiger swallowtails can be found throughout Virginia in a variety of habitats.