1 A Butterfly's Life

A Butterfly's Life written by Pam Holden

This insect has an interesting life cycle. A butterfly goes through four stages in its life. It changes into something different each time. At one stage, it just crawls and eats and grows. At two other stages, it just rests and changes. How does it become a beautiful butterfly?

First, the mother butterfly lays her eggs on a leaf or branch. She finds a place where there will be food for the caterpillar when it hatches. For about two weeks, the caterpillar grows inside the egg. Another name for the egg is the embryo.

The second stage is when a tiny caterpillar hatches. It is hairy, with a long stomach. It begins to eat right away. It has strong jaws for eating leaves and flowers. The caterpillar has many legs to help it move to new food. In two or three weeks, it grows to a much bigger size. Another name for a caterpillar is a larva. larva

The third stage is when the fat caterpillar makes a chrysalis. It finds a safe place to hang on a branch or log. pupa or cocoon It slowly spins a strong web around itself. Sometimes the chrysalis is called the pupa or cocoon.

Inside the chrysalis, the caterpillar just rests and slowly changes into something different. It doesn't eat or move at all. After two weeks, it is not like a caterpillar any more. It grows four wings on its back and two feelers on its head. Feelers can be called antennae. chrysalis