Event 1~ the egg stage~
It started with tiny white eggs. Once the eggs are laid, it take about 5 days for the eggs hatch.

Event 2~ the caterpillar or larva stage~ When the eggs hatch they are so tiny they look like a tiny speck of black. The caterpillars only eat milkweed. The children can't wait to see how much the caterpillars have grown each day. 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 find to 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 trails. 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". After anywhere from 15 - 20 hours they are ready to begin the process of forming into a chrysalis. Once the process starts it only takes a minute or two for their skin to split, like an upside down banana, and then they are the chrysalis. The children can hardly contain themselves when they see this miracle.

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 they emerge. Then they turn clear hours before they emerge. 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 fluid 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 butterfly body is very fat when it emerges from the chrysalis because of all the fluid that 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 the herbs parsley, fennel, & rue. 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