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© Copyright 2008, Mountain Kids
Magazine, LLC

Summer 2008
Gunnison/Crested Butte Colorado Family
Activity Guide

Features

Eat, Play, Love: A Butterfly’s Life Journey
Sara Simonson



The diverse and varied native plant habitats surrounding Crested Butte support an incredible show of butterfly species in the summertime. Butterflies may be fair-weather friends, but a sunny hike on a summer day can be very rewarding.

Maybe you’ve come across a flurry of little blue butterflies gathered at a puddle on the trail. Other local butterfly treats can be the crowds of orange fritillaries sipping nectar from purple flowers, a yellow tiger swallowtail floating through the Aspens, or the brave red admiral, basking in the sun high on a mountain top.

Butterflies and moths have a dramatic life cycle that includes four separate stages, each of which looks completely different and serves an important purpose in the life of the insect. First, the female attaches her eggs to leaves, stems, or other objects, usually on (or very close to) the caterpillar’s preferred food plants. The egg is a tiny object, usually round, oval, or cylindrical, and often with fine ribs and other microscopic structures.

The tiny caterpillar eats its way through the shell of the egg, beginning a stage of constant feeding and impressive growth. The caterpillar (or larva) is the long, worm-like stage of the butterfly or moth that often has an interesting pattern of stripes and may have spine-like hairs. It has a tireless appetite for the leaves (and sometimes flowers) of its favorite plants. While indulging in the local green cuisine, the caterpillar must always stay in balance and hang on to the plant, despite exposure to towering heights and harsh weather. As it grows, the caterpillar sheds its skin four or more times to adjust to its rapidly growing body.

Next, the chrysalis marks the amazing stage of transformation within, which the caterpillar tissues are broken down and the adult insect’s wings and other structures are formed. The chrysalis (or pupa) of most species is brown or green and blends into the background. Different species can spend from a few weeks to the entire winter in this stage, until the adult butterfly emerges from the chrysalis and spreads its wings.

Finally, the adult (or imago) is the colorful butterfly or moth that we see in flight. The adults are very mobile, but they may also be found basking in the sun or sipping nectar from a flower. The males hone their aviation skills to seek out females, while the females fly to find favorite plants and places to lay their eggs. The adult butterfly or moth is also in the stage of life where it migrates or colonizes new habitats, always searching for the perfect place to start the next journey, from egg to adult.

For more information, check out the Children’s Butterfly Website, a valuable learning resource made available by the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) and the Big Sky Institute at Montana State University. It includes a fantastic collection of butterfly photographs by Paul Opler and Evi Buckner.

http://bsi.montana.edu/web/kidsbutterfly/

Sara Simonson completed a master’s degree at Colorado State University through her research on butterflies in Colorado’s mountain landscapes.  Sara currently works on native and invasive species distributions as a research associate at the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, and as a graduate student in the Earth Sciences Watershed Program, both at Colorado State University. She visits the East River Valley as often as possible and leads butterfly hikes with the Crested Butte Wildflower Festival. Sara.Simonson@ColoState.EDU