Metamorphosis

Each spring and summer one of the most amazing transformations takes place through out North America but out of sight of most observers. In just one months time a Monarch butterfly will go through all four stages of it’s life. Starting as a tiny egg less than one centimeters in size. In just a few days the eggs will hatch into a tiny caterpillar and begin feeding on the milkweed plant on which they were laid. They grow rapidly and become fully grown within two weeks. At this point the caterpillar crawls to a safe place to pupate. There it chrysalises and begins the amazing metamorphosis process. In about two weeks the newly formed butterfly becomes visible through the shell of the chrysalis and emerges. About one hour after emerging from its chrysalis, the monarch's wings are full-sized, dry, and ready for flying.