Life
Stages of
the Monarch
created by
Monarchs
(Danaus plexippus) live for about 9 months, and they don't always
look like butterflies. The monarch begins its life as an egg. The eggs,
layed on milkweed leaves, hatch into caterpillars. The baby caterpillars
eat the milkweed, and grow very quickly. The milkweed contains a poison
that the monarchs use as a defense. While the poison doesn't hurt the
monarchs, it makes them taste bad to birds and other predators. Predators
soon learn to avoid the bright colors of the monarch caterpillars and
butterflies.
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© Walt Thomas all rights reserved