Monarch Butterfly Life Cycle - Bring the Monarch Butterfly Life Cycle to Your Own Garden and Home!

The Life Cycle of the Monarch butterfly is one of the more beautiful butterfly life cycles due to its colorful caterpillars and stunning chrysalises. The adult Monarch butterfly is famous for it's vibrant orange and black appearance as well as its winter migration. So what exactly are the life stages of the Monarch butterfly and how can you bring them into your home?

The Monarch butterfly (like all other butterflies) has four stages in its life cycle starting with butterfly eggs. You can attract female adult Monarchs to lay eggs by planting several milkweed plants in a group planting in your garden or large containers. Adult butterflies are attracted to group plantings rather than single plantings. Milkweed flowers serve as a nectar source for the adult Monarchs while the leaves provide food for their caterpillars.

After about 3-5 days the caterpillars will hatch from the eggs and begin the second stage. The main purpose of the caterpillar is to eat and grow. The caterpillar will continue to eat for about 2 weeks. At that time it will find a place to pupate or become a chrysalis.

The chrysalis is the third stage. The Monarch chrysalis is a gorgeous jade green with shiny gold dots. It is an amazing work of nature's art. The chrysalis will hang for about 1-2 weeks. Approximately 24 hours before the butterfly emerges the chrysalis shell will become clear and you will be able to see the butterfly wings all wrapped up inside.

The fourth life stage of the Monarch butterfly begins as the beautiful adult butterfly pushes its way out usually in the morning hours after dawn. The butterfly will hang for a few hours to harden and dry it's wings. Soon it will be ready for flight so it can find a mate and begin the incredible Monarch life cycle once again.

Adult Monarchs can live for many months and the monarchs that emerge at the end of the summer will migrate South to overwinter as adults. They will return in the spring to lay eggs.

You can watch the stages of the Monarch butterfly life cycle in your home by bringing the eggs or caterpillars indoors on cuttings from your milkweed plants. You can also bring the whole pot inside if you grew some of your milkweed in a pot. Continue to feed your caterpillars and supply some sticks for them to pupate on.

Once they become chrysalises, make sure that when they emerge and hang from their chrysalis they will have room for their wings to expand freely. Before long you will have beautiful Monarch butterflies fluttering around, ready to be released.

My kids and I raise butterflies indoors every summer and we have a website devoted to sharing this fascinating hobby with others. Please visit us to learn more about the butterfly life cycle and how to raise monarchs indoors as well as much more information to get you started raising your own butterflies!

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