Butterfly Life Cycle

Ever wondered how the butterfly life cycle goes? Well first the monarch butterfly plants a tiny egg on the underside of a swan plant. After a few days the egg starts squirming that means it is ready to hatch. It comes out as a caterpillar. First it chews a hole and the hole gradually widens. When it comes out it is only 2 millimetres long. This is called Larvae.

The caterpillar eats its shell then goes to find milkweed leaves to eat. The caterpillar begins pupation. It is motionless for 1 and a half weeks. Inside the pupa also known as the chrysalis the monarch is transforming from a caterpillar to a butterfly.

When the process has finished, the butterfly is ready to come out of the chrysalis. Their wings take a couple of hours for the fluid to expand them to their full size. The monarch finds nectar from flowers and the life cycle starts again.