My First Discoveries · Drawing 28 of 40
A Butterfly’s Life
The Living World
A monarch passes through four stages: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, butterfly. The caterpillar and butterfly are the same animal at different ages.
Did you know?
A monarch caterpillar feeds on milkweed.
Look together
Find the egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and butterfly.
An idea to try
Tell the four stages in the right order.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
The chosen cycle is Danaus plexippus. The chrysalis is not a silk cocoon woven around a caterpillar. Stages are not to one scale. The adult’s first pair of legs is reduced; the drawing does not give it eight legs.
The illustration brings together several individuals at different stages on a host plant. One animal passes through these stages in sequence.
Sources and illustration notes (1)
Illustrations simplify shapes and sizes. Models and enlargements help observation; choose your own colours.
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. References identify the institution and the related lesson; some linked pages are in French.
- National Park Service: A Butterfly’s LifeFollow egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and adult butterfly in order.
Source review: 2026-10-03. Illustrations are simplified for colouring.
