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Butterflies go through 4 life stages.
A butterfly's life cycle is a process called metamorphosis. The four life stages of a butterfly are egg, larva, pupa and adult in that order. -
Stage One: Egg
Butterflies developing from egg to adult is completed in about 30 days. Monarchs usually lay a single egg on a plant, often on the bottom of a leaf near the top of the plant. -
Stage Two: Larva
A caterpillar is the larval stage of butterflies and moths. The caterpillar hatches from a tiny egg and will eventually pupate and turn into an adult butterfly or moth. This larval stage usually lasts from two weeks to about a month. -
Stage Three: Pupa (chrysalis)
The pupa or chrysalis stage in a butterfly's (or moth's) life when it is encased in a chrysalis and undergoing metamorphosis. It does not eat during this stage. The pupa stage lasts from a few days to many months. -
Stage Four: (Last Stage) Adult
Adult butterflies have completed metamorphism.
