The second generation of monarch butterflies is born in May and June, and then the third generation will be born in July and August. This first generation monarch butterfly will then die after laying eggs for generation number two. The monarch butterfly will emerge from the pupa and fly away, feeding on flowers and just enjoying the short life it has left, which is only about two to six weeks. Within the chrysalis the old body parts of the caterpillar are undergoing a remarkable transformation, called metamorphosis, to become the beautiful parts that make up the butterfly that will emerge. It will attach itself to a stem or a leaf using silk and transform into a chrysalis.įrom the outside, the 10 days of the chrysalis phase seems to be a time when nothing is happening, but it is really a time of rapid change. After about two weeks, the caterpillar will be fully-grown and find a place to attach itself so that it can start the process of metamorphosis. Then the baby caterpillar doesn’t do much more than eat the milkweed in order to grow. It takes about four days for the eggs to hatch. They hatch into baby caterpillars, also called the larvae. In March and April the eggs are laid on milkweed plants. This starts stage one and generation one of the new year for the monarch butterfly. They then migrate north and east in order to find a place to lay their eggs. In February and March, the final generation of hibernating monarch butterflies comes out of hibernation to find a mate.
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