Blossoming Butterflies

The twins have been learning a lot about life cycles in Kindergarten. We did our own observations at home of the metamorphosis of a Butterfly.

This is the larva (caterpillars). The job of the caterpillar is to eat and eat and eat. As the caterpillar grows it splits its skin and sheds it about 4 or 5 times. Food eaten at this time is stored and used later as an adult.

DAY 1

When the caterpillar is full grown and stops eating, it becomes a pupa. The pupa of butterflies is also called a chrysalis. It may look like nothing is going on but big changes are happening inside. Special cells that were present in the larva are now growing rapidly. They will become the legs, wings, eyes and other parts of the adult butterfly. 

DAY 10

DAY 15
Our first butterfly emerged!

The adult stage is what most people think of when they think of butterflies. They look very different from the larva. The caterpillar has a few tiny eyes, stubby legs and very short antennae. The one thing they can't do is grow. The caterpillar's job was to eat. The adult's job is to mate and lay eggs. Some species of adult butterflies get energy by feeding on nectar from flowers but many species don't feed at all.Most adult butterflies live only one or two weeks, but some species hibernate during the winter and may live several months. 

DAY 24
All our butterflies have transformed

DAY 31
We released our butterflies!