Event 1~ the egg stage~
It started with tiny white eggs. After about 5 days the eggs hatch. We observed the eggs for a couple of days before they hatched.

Event 2~ the caterpillar or larva stage~ When they hatch they are so tiny they look like a tiny speck of black. The caterpillars only eat milkweed. The children come in excitedly each morning and rush to the caterpillar tank. They can't wait to see how much the caterpillars have grown over night. They observe throughout the day watching them munch on milkweed. They are delighted to see how the caterpillars have eaten holes in the leaves.

Event 2~the pupa or chrysalis stage~
After about 10 days/2 weeks, the caterpillars look for the highest place they can attach themselves to in order to form into a chrysalis. I put branches in the tank for that process. As they crawl, they leave a silk trail. The silk is what they use to adhere to the branch. Then they hang head down in a "J" shape from the branch. They will "hang in a J for a day". This is the rhyme I tell the children in order for them to remember. After anywhere from 15 - 20 hours they are ready to go become a chrysalis. Once the process starts it only takes a minute or two for their skin to split, like and upside down banana, and then they are the chrysalis. The children can hardly contain themselves when they see this miracle. They have seen 4 of the caterpillars form into a pupa.

Event 3~adult butterfly~
It takes about 10 days for the butterflies to emerge from the chrysalis. The chrysalis goes from green to black, then clear. It turns black about a day before it emerges, then clear hours before it emerges. As it turns clear, the butterfly can be seen inside. Once the butterfly emerges from the chrysalis it pumps it's fluid through it's wings. The butterfly hangs downwards as gravity helps pull the blood to the tips of the wings. I tell the children that they are stretching the way they do when they wake up in the morning. The butterflies body is very fat when it emerges from the chrysalis. The fluid is in the body cavity. As the fluid goes to the wings, the body narrows and becomes longer. It takes a couple of hours for their wings to unfold and dry. It slowly flutters it's wings. Once the butterfly begins fluttering it's wings it is time to release the butterfly. All that is left is the empty chrysalis case.
Event 4~the release~
We released our butterflies. The children watch as they slowly flutter their wings. Then in a blink of the eye, they fly away.

It is easy to tell the male from the female. The male has the two black spots on the it's hind wings and the thinner black webbing (lines) within the wings. The female's webbing (lines) is thicker and she has no wing spots.

We raise Swallowtail and Queen butterflies as well. The Swallowtails caterpillars feed on parsley. The swallowtails have two hidden antennae that they use for protection. The antennae pop out when they are threatened. The antennae omit an offensive odor that has a numbing effect.

The Queen butterfly is in the same family as the Monarch. They eat milkweed and have the same metamorphosis process as the Monarch. However, in certain subspecies of the Queen the chrysalis can be pink instead of green. The Queen butterfly is like the Monarch with the band of black around the edges of the wings and white dots. However, the Queen butterfly is a burnt orange color instead of the brighter orange of the Monarch.

swallowtail butterfly

swallowtail butterfly

queen caterpillar

queen caterpillar

queen butterfly

from left to right
mature Monarch caterpillar, young Monarch caterpillar, mature Queen caterpillar

monarch and queens munching in class