{"id":35897,"date":"2024-02-02T18:27:43","date_gmt":"2024-02-02T17:27:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/0848a51c-c6cd-441a-9670-f10abd05bb81"},"modified":"2024-02-02T19:35:36","modified_gmt":"2024-02-02T18:35:36","slug":"how-many-butterfly-eggs-reach-adulthood","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcwildlife\/rss_feed\/how-many-butterfly-eggs-reach-adulthood\/","title":{"rendered":"How many butterfly eggs reach adulthood?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Just what are the chances of butterfly eggs reaching adulthood? Richard Jones takes a look at the evidence <\/p>

By Richard Jones\n <\/p>

Published: Friday, 02 February 2024 at 17:27 PM<\/p>

\n\n

Standard population dynamics would suggest that, on average, two eggs from each female need tosurvive. Thus two parents from one generation are succeeded by two offspring in the next (thoughthis may be complicated by males mating with multiple females). <\/p>

5 butterfly eggs to spot and how to see them<\/a><\/li>
The butterfly life cycle explained<\/a><\/li><\/ul>
Being unprotected and immobile, eggs are easy prey, so most butterflies lay them singly, widely scattered on the foodplants. Often the first act of the hatchling caterpillar is to eat its own eggshell, so cannibalism is a possibility too. <\/p>
Some, like the small skipper leave small clusters of 3\u20135, perhaps hedging their bets against the loss of lone eggs. In contrast, small tortoiseshells, large whites and peacocks are unusual in laying largebatches of about 100 eggs. <\/p>
However they are spread out, a female lays around 100\u2013200 eggs. Mortality is often very high, but there is also the potential for a 100\u2013fold population increase in a single season. This fecundity is part of insect success across the planet.<\/p> <\/body><\/html>\n
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