Why do male butterflies die after mating?

After mating the butterfly has done what it was created for – to continue the species. They will die 6-8 weeks after using up all it’s sperm mating with various females. Similarly the female will die after she has laid all her eggs – usually between 300 and 400, although one laid over 1,000 eggs! Only a few of these will survive the process of becoming butterflies.