The front lawn, porch and carport of Johnnie and Jane Phillips’ home on Pear Street in Jena has become a butterfly sanctuary in recent days, as many butterflies are completing their circle of life. A large passionflower beside their driveway has long been a breeding and egg planting location for butterflies, who not only breed on the plant, but attach their eggs to the underside of its leaves. The first stage of a butterfly’s life is the egg stage, which lasts for approximately seven days. The second stage is the caterpillar stage, which lasts from two to six weeks. As caterpillars, they leave the plant and crawl to other locations, usually much higher, where they attach themselves to various places where they begin the pupa stage. This stage lasts from a week to two years, depending upon the species. The final stage is the adult stage, where they emerge from their cocoon as beau‑tiful butterflies. At the Phillips’ home, most of the butterflies are monarch butterflies, which have a pupa stage of just two weeks. Once they emerge and take flight, they soon find a mate to begin the process all over again. Thus, the Phillips are able to witness the butterflies’ complete circle of life.
News
The Circle of Life