K. Light. Metamorphosis of the Butterfly All photos and text Copyright 2007 Kris Light

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Stanley Harrison
7 years ago
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2 Metamorphosis: Means - to change shape Begins with an egg Takes place in insects and amphibians Can be complete or incomplete Complete Metamorphosis Egg Larva Pupa Adult Incomplete Metamorphosis Egg Nymph Adult Egg Tadpole Adult

3 Butterflies Butterflies go through complete metamorphosis. They have 4 phases.they lay their eggs on specific types of leaves which will be food for the caterpillars. They touch leaves with their feet to taste-test them before laying the eggs. Gulf Fritillary Butterfly laying her egg on a leaf

4 The Egg Monarch egg The caterpillar inside the egg will develop in just over a week. Shortly before the caterpillar hatches, the top of the egg will turn black (that is the caterpillar s head). Some insects overwinter as an egg and hatch in the spring when food becomes available.

5 The caterpillar hatches! This tiny, 2 millimeter-long caterpillar has just hatched from its egg. The first food it ate was the egg shell (good protein!), then it began to eat the tiny hairs on the bottom of the milkweed leaf. Caterpillars are the eating phase of butterfly s lifecycle. This little monarch will gain 3000 times its hatching weight and grow up to 50 mm just before it becomes a chrysalis!

6 The caterpillar grows LARGER For 2 weeks the caterpillar eats and poops a lot! As it grows it sheds its skin 4 times The bright colors of the Monarch caterpillar warn birds and other predators that it is poisonous; a bird will get sick if it eats one of these! Monarch caterpillars have feelers called whiplashes on both ends. They have small simple eyes that can detect light from dark.

7 Getting ready for a big change! On its last day as a caterpillar, it climbs to a secure spot and spins a silk mat. It then hooks its last prolegs into the mat and hangs head down in the shape of a J. It will hang like this for about 12 hours. As it pulls air into its body through holes in the abdomen called spiracles, the skin loosens and it begins to split behind the head.

8 Pupation a time of transformation When the skin finally pops off, the jadegreen chrysalis is left in its place. The caterpillar s body becomes a soupy mix of cells that will change into a butterfly within 14 days. The wings are just barely visible in the black chrysalis, the butterfly will soon emerge!

9 It s time for the butterfly to emerge! It takes only a couple of minutes for the butterfly to emerge from the confines of the chrysalis but it may take up to 2 hours before it can fly.

10 The butterfly is ready to fly! A Male Monarch Butterfly has a spot on his lower wings, a female doesn t.

11 Moth caterpillars become a cocoon when they pupate Moth caterpillars spin a silk cocoon around themselves and shed their larval skin inside the cocoon. The moth may overwinter in this phase because it doesn t eat as a pupa. Acrea moth cocoons

12 Other Butterflies Buckeye Viceroy Red-spotted Purple Tiger Swallowtail Baltimore Checkerspot Question Mark

13 Moths Hummingbird Clearwing Tiger Moth Blinded Sphinx Io moth Luna Moth Moths are usually nocturnal, but can fly during the day. some are well camouflaged, others flash bright underwings when threatened.

14 Caterpillars Io moth Monarch Butterfly Case-bearer moth Tobacco Hornworm Moth Inchworm Moth Milkweed Moth

15 End of Presentation Kris Light Photos for Purchase You can help support this site by purchasing my prints! For unique gifts or decorations for your home, office or cabin, check out the photos at: Printroom will print and ship the orders to the customer. For more information on butterflies and moths, go to:

Life Cycle of a Butterfly

Name: Date: Life Cycle of a Butterfly Life cycle refers to the stages of development, growth and reproduction that a living thing goes through. The butterfly's life cycle is made up of four stages: egg,