Life Cycle of a Monarch Butterfly

From nearly invisible eggs, tiny striped caterpillars emerge. They begin feeding on the surrounding milkweed leaves immediately, storing food for the transition to come. After two weeks, they form a chrysalis, from which a monarch butterfly emerges after another two weeks. Scientific Name: Danaus plexippus Characteristics: Thanks to its bright orange and black coloring, the monarch is one of the best-known butterfly species. Its amazing transition is shown in this four-part life cycle. Size and Color: The newly emerged caterpillars are black, white, and yellow, a stark contrast with the emerald chrysalis that follows. The finest colors, however, are reserved for the adult monarch butterfly, which is 3 ½ inches from wingtip to wingtip.