All about eggs
Butterfly and moth eggs come in
many shapes and sizes, but they
are all the first stage in an insect’s
life. The female lays her eggs on
or near the right plant that will
be food for the caterpillar when
it hatches. This plant is known as
the foodplant.
Laying eggs
As this female comet moth lays her eggs, she
glues them to the stem so that they do not
fall off. Some moths produce special hairs to
put on the eggs to protect them from ants.The moth curls her
abdomen around to put
each egg in place.The cycle of life
Butterflies and moths
pass through four stages
during their lives. They
begin as eggs and then
hatch into caterpillars.
When fully grown, the
caterpillars form a pupa,
which produces an adult.
These changes are
called metamorphosis.26US_026-027_All_about_eggs.indd 26 11/10/17 3:34 pm