The Life Cycle of a
Butterfly
By Mrs. Kong
There are four stages.
 Egg
 Caterpillar or Larva
 Chrysalis or Pupa
 Butterfly
Egg
• A female lays eggs on a leaf.
• They hatch in about 5 days.
Caterpillar or Larva
• It grows and eats a lot of food.
• Grows the most during this stage.
• The caterpillar hangs upside down and
attaches itself to a twig.
Chrysalis or Pupa
• This is called the resting stage.
• The caterpillar is disguised in a case to
protect itself from its enemies.
• It is going through metamorphosis or
changing into a butterfly.
Butterfly or Adult
• The butterfly breaks open the chrysalis.
• When it comes out, it uncurls and pumps
its wings.
• It can’t eat – it drinks through its
probiscus ( a long straw-like tube).
Fun Facts
• Butterflies use their feet to
taste things!
• A caterpillar has over 1,000 muscles and
no bones!
• When the temperature is lower than 50
degrees, a butterfly will not fly.
What did you learn?
1. Where does a female butterfly lay her
eggs?
2. What are two things a caterpillar does
during this stage?
3. What is another name for the chrysalis
stage?
4. Can a butterfly eat? Why or why not?
Works Cited

California Department of Education
http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/pn/fd/documents/sci-stnd.pdf
Content Standards for Second Grade

Cool Science
www.hhmi.org/ coolscience/butterfly/
Butterfly Life Cycle

Enchanted Learning
www.enchantedlearning.com/ themes/butterfly.shtml
Parts of a Caterpillar

SMCDSB
smcdsb.on.ca/.../ life_cycle__butterfly.htm
Chrysalis

Lewisham
ecs.lewisham.gov.uk/ youthspace/ca/Lorraine/gr...
Butterfly Eggs
Works Cited (continued)

SOSU
www.sosu.edu/.../ bulletinboards/butterflies.htm
Butterfly

MHSchool
www.mhschool.com/science/ 2005/student/gl/glos...
Pupa(Chrysalis green)

Locksheath-jun
www.locksheath-jun.hants.sch.uk/ 3links.ht
Egg of bottom of leaf

Learner
www.learner.org/.../ monarch/eclose002.jpg
Chrysalis

Paradise-Jewelry
www.paradise-jewelry.com/ butterfly-lifecycle.htm
Caterpillar in J Formation
Works Cited (continued)

Butterfly Breeders
http://butterflybreeders.org/pages/letslearn/funfacts.html
Fun Facts about Butterflies

Personal
personal.monm.edu/ SFINLEN/
Butterfly Life Cycle

Locksheath-jun
www.locksheath-jun.hants.sch.uk/ 3links.htm
Egg on Leaf

Enchanted Learning
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/butterfly/activities/printouts/lifecycle.shtml
Butterfly Life Cycle Chart

Woody Pest
woodypest.ifas.ufl.edu/ 1011.htm
Caterpillar
Works Cited (continued)

Butterflies
www.butterflies.org/ images/Painted%20Lady%20E...
Egg

Natural Sciences
www.naturalsciences.org/ funstuff/notebook/inv...
Chrysalis on Twig

Scott Camazine
www.scottcamazine.com/.../ 10monarch_jpg.htm
Butterfly (close-up)