|
Click picture
to enlarge
Monarchs
are only butterflies for a portion of their life cycle.
Like all butterflies, monarchs
go through a huge change in their lives called "metamorphosis."
The first stage of metamorphosis is the egg. Within a few days
after being laid, a monarch larva, or caterpillar, emerges from
its egg. Which picture here shows a monarch in the larva stage?
A monarch caterpillar is an eating machine, munching mostly on
its favorite meal, the milkweed plant. A monarch caterpillar
multiplies its weight by more than 2,500 times in less than two
weeks! After reaching its full size, it begins to transform into
the pupa. Here you see a monarch in the pupa stage. In this stage,
the pupa transforms into a butterfly. The butterfly is
the adult stage of metamorphosis, which is its last stage of
life. Female monarchs will lay eggs, and the cycle starts again.
In Mexico, the monarchs spend their winters in fir forests. The
thick treetops protect the monarchs from some of the wind, rain,
and snow. The treetops also act as a big blanket in keeping the
butterflies warm. Much of the land that monarchs rest in is currently
protected, but over the last 30 years, much of the surrounding
forests have been thinned out, which means less insulation for
the monarchs. Another threat to the monarchs is in the U.S. Milkweed
is considered a nuisance by some people, so many are destroyed
as weeds. What do you think people could do to make sure monarchs
are around in the future?
|
THOUGHT
QUESTIONS:
Would you like
to study butterflies or other insects?
Are you surprised
that monarchs migrate so far?
|
FOR
MORE INFORMATION:
Monarch Watch is dedicated to monarch conservation.
Livemonarch.org follows
the yearly monarch migrations.
|
 END
OF STORY. NOW
TAKE THE STORY QUIZ
 
Top
of page
|
