What is the Life Cycle of a Butterfly?
Written by: Sierra Adams, Maggie McGinn, & Tiffany Dusman
Content Area: Science
Grade Level: Kindergarten
Standard Identifer/Code: 3.1.K.A.3
Standard: Observe, compare, and describe stages of life cycles for plants and animals.
Table of Contents
Page 4: What is a life cycle?
Page 5: Butterflies around the world
Pages 6-7: Stage 1
Page 8: Stage 2
Page 9: Stage 3
Page 10: Stage 4
Page 11: The life cycle continues
Page 12: The 4 stages
What is a life cycle?
All of the stages a living thing goes through during its life is called a life cycle .
There are many different types of butterflies.
Butterflies live all around the world.
In the United States, there are 750 different species of butterflies.
A butterfly's life cycle starts with a female butterfly laying an egg on a leaf or plant. The butterfly eggs are small, round, and can have different textures.
The egg can hatch a few weeks after being laid on the leaf. They can also hatch when the weather gets warm.
The next stage is the caterpillar, or larva , hatching from the egg. They are very small when they hatch.
The caterpillar begins to eat the leaf that they are hatched on. As they grow, they shed their skin 4-5 times.
The third stage of the cycle comes once the caterpillar is fully grown. The caterpillar forms a chrysalis , or pupa, on a plant or twig.
Inside the chrysalis, the caterpillar's body parts change in a process called metamorphosis .
In the last stage of the life cycle, the butterfly comes out of the pupa .
Once their wings are dry, the butterfly masters flying in 3-4 hours.
All butterflies go through the 4 stages of the life cycle :
1. Egg
2. Caterpillar or larva
4. Adult butterfly
