Overwinters as ADULT (one of the few NA butterflies to do so) — surviving freezing winters in tree-cavity refugia. Adults live up to 6-9 months, exceptionally long-lived for a butterfly.
Hercules beetle larvae spend 1–2 years inside rotting logs and can grow to over 100 grams before pupating.
Adult lifespan is exactly one week. Everything they have to do — find a mate, lay eggs — happens in seven days.
In captivity these roaches live 2–5 years — extreme longevity for an insect, and longer than most pet rodents.
Stag beetle larvae develop for 3-7 years inside rotting wood — one of the longest insect childhoods.
A Macrotermes queen lives 50 years and lays 30,000 eggs every day — making her possibly the longest-lived insect on Earth.
Larvae spend 1-3 years in the pit before pupating — most of their life is the ambush phase.
