A Butterfly's Life Cycle

A Butterfly's Life Cycle

Written by: Nicole Hoblak

PDE SAS: http://www.pdesas.org/module/content/resources/4149/view.ashx

Butterflies go through a complete life cycle.  This means that there are actually different stages to the butterfly's life.  This process is called metamorphosis . In this book, you will learn about the four phases of life that a butterfly goes through.

Phase 1: Egg

A butterfly begins as an egg, laid on the underside of a leaf.  Inside is a tiny caterpillar, only about the size of a pinhead!

Phase 2: Caterpillar

When the egg hatches, a caterpillar emerges.  The caterpillar will start his work and eat the leaf he was born on.  This is really important because the mother butterfly needs to lay her eggs on the type of leaf the caterpillar will eat.  During this stage, all the caterpillar does is eat.

Phase 3: Chrysalis  

Within the chrysalis, the old body parts of the caterpillar are undergoing a remarkable transformation called metamorphosis, to become the beautiful parts that make up the butterfly that will emerge.  Tissue, limbs, and organs of the caterpillar have all been changed by the time the pupa  is finished, and is now ready for the final stage of a butterfly's life cycle.

Phase 4: Butterfly

As soon as the butterfly has rested after coming out of the chrysalis, it will pump blood into the wings in order to get them working and flapping, then they get to fly.  

Usually within a three or four hour period, the butterfly will master flying and will search for a mate in order to reproduce.

Now that you have reached the end of the butterfly's life cycle, test your knowledge and click here to see if you can put the life cycle in order.

After testing your knowledge, click here to watch a short video on different life cycles.

Monarch Butterfly

By: Marilyn Singer

Wait I can wait

    For the fullness of wings

    For the lift

    For the flights

Wait I can wait

    A moment less

    A moment more

I have waited much longer before

    For the taste of the flower

    For the feel

    For the sight

Wait I can wait

    For the prize of the skies

    For the gifts of the air

Almost finished

Almost there

    Almost ready

        to rise

Resources:

Butterfly Life Cycle: Article with Lots of Pictures. (2014,

       January 1). Retrieved March 30, 2015, from        

       http://www.thebutterflysite.com/life-cycle.shtml

Children's, Intermediate and Advanced Online English

      Dictionary & Thesaurus. (2015, January 1). Retrieved April      

      1, 2015, from https://kids.wordsmyth.net/we/