The Life Cycle of the Monarch Butterfly

By: Sara Kailing

Ed. 205-09Quit

Monarch Butterfly

Stage 1Egg

Stage 2Caterpillar

Stage 3Chrysalis

Stage 4Butterfly

AboutThe

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Video

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Fun Facts

Migration

ButterflyPuzzle

MigrationMap

Stage 1- Egg Stage

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•Butterflies lay their eggs on the underside of leaves.

•Monarch butterflies will lay their eggs only on the milkweed plant.

•Eggs with hatch into larvae in about four days.

Stage 2- Caterpillar (Larvae)•When a caterpillar first hatches it is very small.

•Monarch caterpillars eat only milkweed leaves.

•The milkweed that the monarch caterpillars eat is poisonous. The poison stays in their bodies so that animals will not eat them.

•In order for the monarch to grow it must shed it’s skin.

•The caterpillar stage is two weeks long.

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Stage 3- Chrysalis (Pupa)•The caterpillar turns into a butterfly in the pupa stage.

•The caterpillar hangs upside down and forms a silk cocoon from it’s old skin.

•Inside the chrysalis the monarch forms wings and adult organs.

•The pupa stage is two weeks.

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Stage 4- Adult Butterfly

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•When the butterfly comes out of it’s cocoon it hangs upside down to dry it’s wings and make them strong.

•The butterfly can then fly.

•Butterflies eat flower nectar through their new straw like mouth.

Life Cycle Video

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The Great Migration•Monarch butterflies live across the country during the warm months (March-October).

•When fall comes the butterflies begin to fly 2,500 miles south to Mexico or California.

•Once they reach the warmer climate the butterflies hibernate. Their heart rate slows and they rest for the winter.

•When spring comes the butterflies fly back to the areas they came from.

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Migration Map

•Monarchs fly south for the winter.

•During spring time the butterflies are on their way back from Mexico.

•Once summer comes the butterflies are back to lay their eggs.

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Fun Facts

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•The monarch butterfly has tiny receptors on their feet that they taste with.

•Monarch butterflies new it to be at least 50 degrees in order to fly.

•The monarch caterpillar does not have bones. Instead it has over 1,000 muscles helping the caterpillar crawl wherever it needs to go!

Butterfly Puzzlehttp://www.kidzone.ws/animals/butterflypuzzle.htm

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About the Author• My name is Sara Kailing

and I am currently attending Grand Valley State University in order to become an elementary educator. Someday I hope to teach language arts to elementary age students.

• You can e-mail me at: skailing11@hotmail.com

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Resources

• http://www.yahoo.com/

• http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm

• http://www.monarchbutterflyusa.com/Cycle.htm

• http://butterflybreeders.com/pages/letslearn/funfacts.html

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Concept Map

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