Each caterpillar then undergoes a complete physical transformation called metamorphosis Now resembling a butterfly, it emerges from the chrysalis ready to mate so the cycle can continue ...

What is the life cycle of an animal ... When these eggs hatch out, they become caterpillars. This is called the larva stage. It doesn't look much like a butterfly yet, does it?

The caterpillar crawls away from the milkweed plant in search of a safe spot to begin the pupa stage of the monarch butterfly life cycle. It uses spinnerets near its mouth to create a tiny silken pad.

Journal of the New York Entomological So... Journal of the New York Entomological Society Vol. 37, No. 1, Mar., 1929 Studies on Chemical Changes during the L... Studies on Chemical Changes during the ...