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| THE EGGS:
hatch in 3 to 5 days and the tiny, l/8th" long,
Monarch caterpillar eats its way out of the egg, and
then proceeds to eat the milkweed leaf its egg was laid
on.
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| It takes 10
days for the complete metamorphosis. By 7 days the
colors of the chrysalis change and the dark orange
and black of the wings begins to show.
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LARVAL STAGE:
The caterpillar grows to 2" long before it
pupates in a jade and emerald green chrysalis. The
caterpillar is very colorful with black, white and
yellow bands. The catepillar sheds its old skin,
eats it, and then continues to eat milkweed
leaves. It molts 4 times until it is ready to
change into its 3rd stage of development.
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| Within 10-12
days the shiny, now perfectly translucent skin of
the chrysalis splits and the butterfly emerges.
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| CHRYSALIS
STAGE:
In two to three weeks the caterpillar is 2
inches long and must find a place to enter its
next stage of metamorphosis, the pupa or chrysalis
stage. The caterpillar looks for a firm place,
such as a log or branch, which will protect it
from the wind and weather.
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| BUTTERFLY
STAGE:
The butterfly is damp, crumpled when it
emerges. It pumps liquid into the black veins of
its wings to stiffen them.
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