The Life Cycle The Life Cycle of the Painted of the Painted Lady ButterflyLady Butterfly

The beauty of a butterfly……

What do What do you think a you think a caterpillar caterpillar looks like?looks like?

How does a caterpillar How does a caterpillar change during its life?change during its life?

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 4

A butterfly usually lays 200-500 eggs on plant leaves A butterfly usually lays 200-500 eggs on plant leaves and stems. Eggs from different butterflies are and stems. Eggs from different butterflies are different shapes and sizes. The caterpillars hatch different shapes and sizes. The caterpillars hatch from the eggs about 5 days later.from the eggs about 5 days later.

The caterpillar is also called the larva. Caterpillars first eat their eggshell, then they eat lots of leaves. Each time the caterpillar grows, it needs to shed its old skin or molt. They usually molt 5 times. After a few weeks the caterpillar stops eating and growing and looks for a place to change.

The caterpillar sheds its skin for the last time and becomes a pupa. The pupa stays inside a hard shell called a chrysalis. Inside the chrysalis, the pupa is changing from a caterpillar's body to a butterfly's body.

The adult butterfly emerges from the chrysalis after several weeks. The butterfly looks for another butterfly to mate with. After mating, the female butterfly lays her eggs. Adult butterflies usually live for only 2 weeks!

The caterpilla

rs are very tiny

when they

arrive in our

classroom.

The caterpillars are constantly eating and growing. They grow very big very fast!

A caterpillar in the J shape.

The The chrysalis chrysalis

stagestage

The Painted Lady Butterfly

The Painted Lady Butterfly is The Painted Lady Butterfly is found all over the world.found all over the world.

It migrates to milder climates for It migrates to milder climates for the winter.the winter.

It takes approximately 23 days to It takes approximately 23 days to go through a complete go through a complete metamorophis.metamorophis.

The Painted Lady Butterfly lays The Painted Lady Butterfly lays eggs on plants, especially the eggs on plants, especially the malva plant.malva plant.

The eggs are green and oval shaped.The eggs are green and oval shaped. The caterpillar is mostly black with The caterpillar is mostly black with

some light spots.some light spots. When the caterpillar becomes too When the caterpillar becomes too

big for its skin, the skin splits.big for its skin, the skin splits. The caterpillar usually goes through The caterpillar usually goes through

four to six molts.four to six molts. When the caterpillar is ready to create When the caterpillar is ready to create

its chrysalis, it crawls to a safe place and its chrysalis, it crawls to a safe place and hangs upside down from a branch or leaf. hangs upside down from a branch or leaf.

Next it spins a button of silk and Next it spins a button of silk and hangs from a J Shape and begins hangs from a J Shape and begins to form a chrysalis.to form a chrysalis.

The chrysalis is a brown color The chrysalis is a brown color with gold spots.with gold spots.

When the chrysalis splits, the When the chrysalis splits, the butterfly begins to emerge.butterfly begins to emerge.

The Painted Lady Butterfly is The Painted Lady Butterfly is active during the day and rests at active during the day and rests at night.night.

Fun Facts about Fun Facts about ButterfliesButterflies

Butterflies are solar-powered! They need the sun to fly.

Male Painted Ladies have smaller abdomens than females.

The tiny scales attached to butterfly wings give the wings their color.

Butterflies have taste sensors on their legs.

The tiny scales attached to butterfly wings give the wings their color.

Painted Lady Butterflies see more patterns, a wider range of color, and more shades of green than people do.

Be set free!Be set free!