The Large white butterfly

Close-ups present the life cycle of the butterfly. Shortly after mating, the female lays her eggs on the underside of cabbage leaves. A few days later, the larva develops. In a week, the young caterpillar emerges. The larvae feed voraciously, grow rapidly and shed or moult their skins as they outgrow them. Finally, each larva is ready for the third stage of its life--pupation. For this it hangs upside down on a leaf and spins a small silk pad. After two weeks, the chrysalis splits and the head of the butterfly forces its way out. It holds onto the leaf with clawed feet as blood is forced into the small wings, expanding them to full size. At last it is a fully developed butterfly., Presents the life cycle of the large white butterfly from the pairing of the male and female to the emergence of the adult insect. NOTE: Two (or more) records have been merged together to create this data.