By Emily Munro Monarch Butterfly Life Cycle

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Monarch egg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kiwinz/3350543945/

•Eggs are laid on milkweed plants.

Monarch egg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wonderferret/390903911/in/photostream/

•It takes around four days for the egg to hatch.

Larva

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wonderferret/390901729/

• Once they hatch the baby caterpillars are called larva.

Growth

http://www.flickr.com/photos/russellbernice/255200436/

• They eat and eat for about two weeks.

“J”

http://www.flickr.com/photos/elisfanclub/4577150091/sizes/l/in/photostream/

•When they are full grown and ready to turn in to a butterfly they hang in a “J”.

Chrysalis

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oakleyoriginals/3972597389/in/photostream/

•They begin to turn in to a chrysalis or pupa.

Chrysalis

http://www.flickr.com/photos/elisfanclub/4577783826/sizes/z/in/photostream/

• They are a chrysalis for 9-12 days.

Chrysalis

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tiswango/2424922027/

• As it gets closer to emerging, the chrysalis becomes more clear.

About to Emerge

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27948818@N05/3086525910/

Butterfly!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cabeel/3625617449/in/photostream/

•When the Butterfly first emerges its wings are soft and wrinkled.

Butterfly!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cabeel/3625628155/in/photostream/

•The Monarch hangs upside down until its wings are flat and hard.

Butterfly!

• It then flies off to start the cycle all over again.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/calliope/207429356/sizes/z/in/photostream/

Sources

http://www.fs.fed.us/monarchbutterfly/faqs.shtml

http://askabiologist.asu.edu/monarch-life-cycle