Laid singly or in clusters on the chosen foodplant.  Eggs can range from 0.2mm to 4mm and may have an external surface that is smooth or ornamentally sculptured with ridges and hollows.  The shapes may be comical, cylindrical, flat, fusiform or bottle shaped.  The coloration of the egg varies as the embryo within develops.

The caterpillar is a stage of activity, feeding and growth.  The growth rate is rapid and within a couple of weeks the caterpillar can have become 20 times longer and up to 2000 times heavier.  Some however have a slow growth rate and take up to several months or even years to fully develop. The skin is elastic so as to accommodate several moults.  There is a great diversity in shape, size and colouring, all intent on aiding camouflage.  The body is composed of 13 segments, 3 thoracic segments and 10 abdominal segments, with each thoracic segment containing 1 pair of legs and the abdomen having legs usually on segments 3 to 6 and 10.

The inert pupal stage is located somewhere safe and does not take in food.  A variety of places are sought with safety in mind.  Examples are within the stem of a plant, underground, within leaf litter, within fruit, a tunnel bored in wood or in a seed capsule.  Some stand on their hind ends and are supported by a silken thread encircling the thorax.  Some are even suspended by hooks located at the tip of the abdomen (the cremaster).

The final stage in the complete metamorphosis is the adult stage whose sole purpose is to attract a mate and produce offspring.  Scents and colours and flight displays are all used as attractions.  Once copulation has been achieved the female can lay her eggs in a suitable sight and start the cycle again.