The butterflies are important in the life cycle of the plants because the butterflies aid in the pollination of the plants. We have provided a reference list , which includes some resources that are useful for determining native butterfly species. If you know of additional resources, please let us know. Many insects undergo complete metamorphosis, which means they go through dramatically different life stages. Butterflies are no exception.
Female butterflies lay eggs, which hatch into the larval stage called caterpillars.
The caterpillar is classified as an eating machine and requires a large amount of food as it grows. The caterpillar will then pupate forming a chrysalis. When metamorphosis is complete the adult butterfly emerges from the chrysalis. Because the caterpillar requires so much food, the adult female butterflies lay their eggs in an area that provides food for themselves as well as for their caterpillars. Therefore, a successful butterfly garden contains nectar producing plants for the adult butterflies as well as larval food plants for the caterpillars.