METAMORPHOSIS

As we bid goodbye to 2025 and welcome a brand new 2026, lets spread our wings to explore the fascinating world of these fluttering creatures

Characterised by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, butterflies are enchanting winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea.  

"Butterflies are certainly one of the most appealing creatures in nature."

— The Smithsonian Institution

The oldest butterfly fossils date back to the Paleocene, about 56 million years ago!

Butterflies have a four-stage life cycle during which they undergo complete metamorphosis.

The winged adults lay eggs on plant foliage; females produce between one hundred and two hundred eggs, The eggs develop into larvae or caterpillars and feed on the leaves. When the caterpillars are fully developed, they pupate in a chrysalis. When metamorphosis is complete, the pupal skin splits open for the adult insect to climb out, expand its wings to dry, and fly off. Butterflies in their adult stage can live from a week to nearly a year depending on the species.  

Butterflies are often polymorphic, and many species make use of camouflage, mimicry, and aposematism to evade their predators. They have scales on their wings which give them their colour.

Butterflies are divided into seven families that contain a total of about 20,000 species.

1.  Hedylidae —  American moth-butterflies                 

2. Hesperiidae — Skippers                         

3. Lycaenidae — Blues, coppers, hairstreaks 

4. Nymphalidae Brush — footed or four-footed butterflies       

5. Papilionidae — Swallowtails                 

6. Pieridae — Whites and allies       

7.  Riodinidae — Metalmarks                  

Most butterflies fly by day, have relatively bright colours, and hold their wings vertically above their bodies when at rest whereas most moths fly by night are often cryptically coloured (well camouflaged), and either hold their wings flat (touching the surface on which the moth is standing) or fold them closely over their bodies. The pupa or chrysalis of a moth is wrapped in a cocoon.

Many butterflies, such as the painted lady and monarch migrate for long distances. These migrations take place over a number of generations and no single individual completes the whole trip. Some species are pests because in their larval stages they can damage domestic crops or trees; other species are agents of pollination of some plants.

Butterflies navigate using a time-compensated sun compass. They can see polarised light and therefore orient even in cloudy conditions. The polarised light near the ultraviolet spectrum appears to be particularly important.

Butterflies feed primarily on nectar from flowers. Some also derive nourishment from pollen, tree sap, rotting fruit, dung, decaying flesh, and dissolved minerals in wet sand or dirt.

Butterflies are important as pollinators for some species of plants.

Adult butterflies consume only liquids, ingested through the proboscis. They sip water from damp patches for hydration and feed on nectar from flowers, from which they obtain sugars for energy, and sodium and other minerals vital for reproduction.

Butterflies have appeared in art from 3500 years ago in ancient Egypt. In hunting scenes, butterflies were sometimes included in a way that suggested life, freedom, and the strength to escape capture, creating a balance to scenes concerned with death. They also were suggestive of regeneration or rebirth and protection.

Butterflies symbolize angels as spiritual messengers of transformation, rebirth, hope, and connection to lost loved ones. They are widely used in objects of art and jewellery: mounted in frames, embedded in resin, displayed in bottles, laminated in paper, and used in some mixed media artworks and furnishings the wings of butterflies.

"Collecting" means preserving dead specimens, not keeping butterflies as pets. Collecting butterflies was once a popular hobby; it has now largely been replaced by photography, recording, and rearing butterflies for release into the wild.

At Arbor Road Estate, special plants that attract butterflies have been nurtured as part of the regeneration process of the land. On some bushes like the Rattle pod (Crotalaria species) you can enjoy the site of several butterflies sometimes upto 4 species feasting together.

To book your stay or day visit at this eco-luxury resort, call 9059222612 or visit their website www.arbor.estate