There are approximately 17,000 species of butterflies worldwide, and about 700 species in North America. The average life span of an adult butterfly is one to two weeks, but it can be as brief as two days or as long as a year. Feeding on the leaves of its larval food plant, a specific plant needed by the caterpillar for food, the caterpillar grows and periodically sheds its skin through a process called molting. After the final molt, the pupa, or chrysalis, emerges from the caterpillar's skin. Most adult butterflies feed on the nectar of flowers.
Males spend their time eating and searching for mates.
Females lay eggs on the leaves of a larval food plant, and the life cycle begins again. The following are only some of the butterflies that can be observed in the Puget Sound region. Larval food plants mentioned below represent only a few of the plants used by these and other butterflies. Worldwide, numerous butterfly species are endangered and face extinction. They are threatened primarily due to the actions of humans.