Life Cycle of a Butterfly
Learning the stages from egg to adult
Life Cycle of a Butterfly
Learning the stages from egg to adult
Science - Grade 2-3
- 1
Name the four main stages in the life cycle of a butterfly in order.
Start with the tiny round stage found on a leaf.
The four stages in order are egg, larva or caterpillar, pupa or chrysalis, and adult butterfly. - 2
A butterfly lays tiny eggs on a leaf. What is the next stage after the egg hatches?
After the egg hatches, the next stage is the larva, which is also called a caterpillar. - 3
What does a caterpillar do most of the time after it hatches?
Think about why a caterpillar needs strong jaws and many leaves.
A caterpillar spends most of its time eating leaves so it can grow bigger. - 4
Circle the stage when the butterfly is inside a chrysalis: egg, larva, pupa, adult.
The stage when the butterfly is inside a chrysalis is the pupa stage. - 5
Explain what metamorphosis means in the life cycle of a butterfly.
The word means a big change in shape or body form.
Metamorphosis means a living thing changes its body form as it grows. A butterfly changes from an egg to a caterpillar, then to a chrysalis, and then to an adult butterfly. - 6
Look at a chrysalis hanging from a branch. What stage of the butterfly life cycle does it show?
A chrysalis hanging from a branch shows the pupa stage of the butterfly life cycle. - 7
Why does a caterpillar shed its skin several times as it grows?
Think about clothes becoming too small as a child grows.
A caterpillar sheds its skin because its old skin becomes too tight as its body grows larger. - 8
Put these stages in order by writing 1, 2, 3, and 4: adult butterfly, egg, chrysalis, caterpillar.
The correct order is 1 egg, 2 caterpillar, 3 chrysalis, and 4 adult butterfly. - 9
What happens during the adult butterfly stage?
Think about what adult butterflies do on flowers.
During the adult butterfly stage, the butterfly can fly, drink nectar, and lay eggs to begin the life cycle again. - 10
How is a caterpillar different from an adult butterfly?
A caterpillar has a long soft body and crawls, while an adult butterfly has wings and can fly. - 11
Where do many butterflies lay their eggs, and why is that place helpful?
The baby caterpillar needs food right away.
Many butterflies lay their eggs on leaves because the caterpillars can eat the leaves when they hatch. - 12
Choose the best word to complete the sentence: A caterpillar is also called a blank. Choices: larva, pupa, adult.
A caterpillar is also called a larva. - 13
Draw or describe what happens after the pupa stage.
This is the stage with wings.
After the pupa stage, an adult butterfly comes out of the chrysalis. - 14
Why is the butterfly life cycle called a cycle?
A cycle goes around and repeats.
It is called a cycle because the stages repeat. Adult butterflies lay eggs, and the life cycle begins again. - 15
Read the clue: I have wings, I drink nectar, and I can lay eggs. Which life cycle stage am I?
This is the adult butterfly stage because adult butterflies have wings, drink nectar, and can lay eggs.