BioEd Online

Learn how to construct a butterfly habitat using inexpensive materials, obtain larvae, and feed and care for butterflies.

A painted lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) emerges from its pupa in its habitat aboard the ISS. It is the first butterfly ever to do so in microgravity.

Here's a great shot of a painted lady butterfly trying to fly without the aid of gravity. It gets a bit disoriented and bounces off a few wall before giving up and clinging to the wall. Exciting stuff!!

Time-lapse video of the painted lady butterfly while in orbit aboard the International Space Station. This video is a compilation of images captured of the habitat over a three-week period.

Ground-based: Larvae hatched 11/09/2009 (seven days old when STS-129 launched).

Daily photo updates from the STS-129 "Butterflies in Space" experiment.

Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) butterfly larvae in their habitat aboard the ISS, part of the 2008 pilot Butterflies and Spiders in Space project.

A look at caterpillars as they eat.

A look at caterpillars eating.

First look at a caterpillar's formation of a chrysalis for its metamorphosis into a butterfly.

Second part of a caterpillar's formation of a chrysalis for its metamorphosis into a butterfly.

A Painted Lady Butterfly emerging after its metamorphosis.

A Painted Lady Butterfly tries out its wings for the first time!

A close up look at a Painted Lady Butterfly.

A look at the wings of a Painted Lady Butterfly and their colors.

Painted Lady Butterflies in their habitat.