What Do Caterpillars, Pupae & Butterflies Feed on?

There are four stages to a butterfly's life. The egg hatches into the caterpillar, which feeds until becoming a pupa, after which it breaks out as a butterfly. These various stages have their own dietary needs. Varying species of butterflies feed themselves differently throughout each stage.

  1. Leaves

    • There are many different types of leaves that caterpillars will feed on. For example, nettles are not a favorite for all butterfly species, only some. The mother will lay her eggs on these plants and the caterpillar, once hatched, will feed vigorously upon these leaves. The Red Admiral and Painted Lady butterflies in particular will often lay their eggs on nettles, but other species may not. These other species may prefer leaves from other types of grasses.

    Pupa Stage

    • The pupae of butterflies do not eat at all. This is why caterpillars are such heavy eaters. During the time that a caterpillar is inside of its chrysalis, it has no way of finding or consuming food. The caterpillar's job is to eat as much as possible until it is confident that it can last through its own metamorphosis in the chrysalis without nutrients. All of the food the caterpillar has eaten is used to fuel the metamorphosis stage in which the caterpillar's body is transformed into that of a butterfly.

    Liquids

    • Butterflies feed on various substances that are mostly liquid in consistency. They will feed on anything that has dissolved. Butterflies will eat tree sap if it has a thin enough consistency. They will also eat dung if they can, particularly after rain has partially dissolved the waste. Butterflies will also eat pollen if it has been watered down. This is close to the butterfly's preferred food item, nectar from flowers.

    Nectar

    • Adult butterflies mostly feed on nectar from a variety of plants. While butterflies may feed on the nectar from certain plants, this may not be the same plant they lay their eggs on. They will lay their eggs on the type of plant that the hatched caterpillar will need to eat, and these are often grasses. Butterflies typically consume the nectar from flowers.