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Egg Stage
Video of Egg Stage An adult butterfly lays a new egg on a milkweed leaf. The egg is clear and greenish to help it blend into the leaves. The egg is no bigger than a pea. The egg will take 5 days to hatch. -
Caterpillar Stage
When the caterpillar emerges it is very hungry. It will eat its egg and them move on to the milkweed leaves. As it eats, it grows larger and molts its skin. It continues this process 4 or 5 times. Until finally it is ready to begin its next life stage. -
Chrysalis or Pupa Stage
After 2 weeks of eating, the caterpillar has wrapped itself into a chrysalis. The chyrsalis hangs from a branch or stem. Inside the caterpillar is turning into a liquid and then hardening into its last form or shape. This process will take about another 2 weeks. -
A Monarch Butterfly
Video of the LifeCycle A butterfly is wiggling its way out of the chrysalis. Once it is out it needs to dry its wings to prepare for flight. For a few hours the butterfly continues to hang onto the branch and flaps its wings over and over until enough blood has been pumped through them to allow for flight. Finally, the beautiful butterfly takes flight. It flys to flowers to drink nectar. Now, the Monarch butterfly is grown.
