Metamorphosisthe life cycle of a butterfly Click the butterfly

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What is metamorphosis?

Metamorphosis is the change that animals go through to become an adult

Butterflies go through 4 main stages to complete the metamorphosis cycle

Click one of the stages to learn more!

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Stage 1: Egg

A butterfly lays her eggs on or near a leaf.

They are round and usually yellow or white in color

Butterfly eggs are very very tiny (the size of a pin head)

The eggs grow for a few days until it is ready to hatch

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Stage 2: Caterpillar (Larva)

The caterpillar (or larva) hatches from the egg and eats the rest of the egg

It is the feeding and growing stage

It molts four or more times because it grows so fast!Click to follow the

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Stage 3: Chrysalis (Pupa)

After the caterpillar is done growing, they find a safe space to form a pupa or chrysalis by hanging from a tree branch in “J-Formation”

Inside of the chrysalis their bodies change quickly

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Stage 4: Butterfly

When the caterpillar is ready, a butterfly comes out of the chrysalis

When it first comes out, it has to pump blood into the wings to get ready to fly!

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Then what?!

Butterflies soon become flying experts and will search for a mate!

A female will lay her eggs on the leaf

The cycle starts all over again!

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Did you know??

Butterflies taste with their feet

Butterflies have 6 legs

Butterflies use their antennae to feel

They don’t all like the same flowers, just like people don’t like all the same food

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