The Atala Butterfly Lifecycle

The Atala butterfly was once thought to be extinct due to the overharvesting of its host plant, the coontie, in the early 20th century. The coontie is now used as an ornamental plant in landscapes and butterfly gardens and has helped bring back Atala butterflies. In the United States, the Atala butterfly occurs in southeastern Florida and recently has been moving north into the east central coastal areas of Florida.
Once an Atala butterfly has emerged, it lives from 21 days up to 90 days, depending on nectar and host plant availability.
Female butterflies lay anywhere from a single egg up to 15-20 eggs at a time, and can lay several dozen eggs during their lifetime. The eggs are laid in clusters on the new leaf tips of the host plant. The Eggs, which are about 1 mm in size, are glued to the surface of the host plant by proteins secreted by the female. The eggs will hatch in about 4-5 days.
The larval stage lasts up to 18 days, and will have 3 to 5 instars, depending on environmental conditions. Approximately 10 days after entering the final pupal stage, the larvae search for a pupation spot.
Atala larvae tend to gather together and pupate in the same area. The larvae apply silk to the plant that anchors them to their pupation site along with a silk thread around the thorax for support. Once they pupate, it takes around 10 days before eclosing, or emerging, from the chrysalis.
The eclosion process is controlled by hormones that soften the chrysalis and cause the butterfly to begin the emergence process. After the butterfly crawls out of the chrysalis, it will hang upside down and force liquids through its wings, using gravity, and by expanding and contracting its abdomen. Once the wings are expanded, the butterfly waits for them to dry before flying away to begin another cycle of life.