The lifespan of a butterfly is relatively brief. However, there is not a single species that lives for just one day; the typical lifespan of a butterfly is around one month. The swallowtail butterfly has one of the shortest lifespans of all butterflies and can live anywhere from six to fourteen days. In addition, the lifespan of a butterfly can never extend beyond a single year. It's possible that the caterpillar of the mourning cloak butterfly, which hatches in early summer, will survive for practically a whole year. There is some evidence that monarch butterflies may survive up to six months.