Stage 2: When the egg hatches a little caterpillar comes out.

A new caterpillar is called a 1instar. It is really little.

The caterpillar eats and grows and changes into a 2instar and then a 3instar.

Stage 3: The 5instar caterpillar is ready to make a chrysalis.

Click on the link to see the butterfly spin the cocoon. http://www.youtub

e.com/watch?v=DKjG1vm5F84&NR=1

Here are some different spun pupas.

Caterpillars change 4 times. When they turn into a 5instar they are ready to make a chrysalis.

Click on the numbers to put the caterpillars in order of age.

1

2

3

4

5

Stage 4: The pupa opens up and out comes the butterfly.

Click on the link to see the cocoon open up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjduur9YyVA&feature=related

It looks different! It doesn’t look like an egg, or a caterpillar or a pupa.

The butterfly life cycle has 4 stages: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and adult. Look at the

pictures. Which one is missing?

Click on the picture to find the missing stage.

the egg

After your butterfly comes out of the chrysalis you can let it go outside OR you can mount it to keep it. Some butterflies live for

only two or three days. Others live a little longer.

OR

Let’s learn about mounting a butterfly, moth or a dragonfly

Step 1 Shoot some water with a hypodermic needle into the dead butterfly to loosen it up a little.

Step 2 Get a pin to gently separate the wings.

Click on the steps to see the picture examples.

Click on the steps to see picture examples to complete the mounting.

Step 3 Fit the butterfly’s body between the slit in the mounting board that you have purchased from an online insect outlet.

Step 4 Start outlining the butterfly wings with quilter’s pins and using clear laminate to hold the butterfly in place. If you poke the body on the side the wings will separate.

Step 5 Keep the butterfly in position for 2 weeks and then

transfer it with a pin to the frame.

Step 6 Secure your butterfly in place with an insect pin not a quilter’s pin through the upper center of the body.

Continue to click on the steps to see the examples.

Good luck in making a caterpillar farm and watching them change into

butterflies. You can also do it with moths and dragonflies.

Learn about their habitats. They will continue to reproduce even if we

mount a few, but if we destroy their habitat, they may all die off and

disappear from the earth.