 Metamorphosis the life cycle of a butterfly Click the butterfly to begin

What is metamorphosis?  Metamorphosis is the change that animals go through to become an adult  Butterflies go through 4 main stages to complete the metamorphosis cycle Click one of the stages to learn more! Click to follow the butterfly >>

Stage 1: Egg  A butterfly lays her eggs on or near a leaf.  They are round and usually yellow or white in color  Butterfly eggs are very very tiny (the size of a pin head)  The eggs grow for a few days until it is ready to hatch Click to follow the butterfly >> << back main menu

Stage 2: Caterpillar (Larva)  The caterpillar (or larva) hatches from the egg and eats the rest of the egg  It is the feeding and growing stage  It molts four or more times because it grows so fast! Click to follow the butterfly >> << back main menu

Stage 3: Chrysalis (Pupa)  After the caterpillar is done growing, they find a safe space to form a pupa or chrysalis by hanging from a tree branch in “J-Formation”  Inside of the chrysalis their bodies change quickly Click to follow the butterfly << back main menu

Stage 4: Butterfly  When the caterpillar is ready, a butterfly comes out of the chrysalis  When it first comes out, it has to pump blood into the wings to get ready to fly! Click to follow the butterfly << back main menu

Then what?!  Butterflies soon become flying experts and will search for a mate!  A female will lay her eggs on the leaf  The cycle starts all over again! Click to follow the butterfly << back main menu

Did you know??  Butterflies taste with their feet  Butterflies have 6 legs  Butterflies use their antennae to feel  They don’t all like the same flowers, just like people don’t like all the same food Click to follow the butterfly back to the beginning! << back