The Monarch Butterfly Life Cycle. Noticing all of the Milkweed (primary caterpillar food – which we’ll get to in a minute), she found 3 monarch caterpillars munching on the leaves. I would like to know how long it takes the caterpillar to Chrysalis after it attaches itself into a J. When the time to pupate comes, the caterpillar undergoes some changes. The other type of insect development is called incomplete metamorphosis. thank you for your help. Small caterpillar is into it's 3rd instar. During the larval stage, caterpillars eat nothing but milkweed leaves. This is my first year raising Monarch Butterflies. I keep checking to see if it has become a Chrysalis but it is still hanging in the J position. Just before they pupate, monarch larvae spin a silk mat from which they hang upside down by their last pair of prolegs. If you want to watch the chrysalis come out of the caterpillar, you need to keep an eye on … Subsequent instars are distinctly striped in yellow, white, and black, with a pair of black tentacles on both ends of their bodies. Monarch caterpillars remain in the larva stage for about two weeks. You will find that your caterpillar will all of a sudden stop eating and seem to be dead or just resting. Mine has been in that state for about 8 hours. These stages include the egg stage, larval stage (caterpillar), pupal stage (Monarch chrysalis), and the imago or adult stage. Karen says: As milkweed is the monarch host plant, it is the only plant that its caterpillars will eat. First instar. The stages include, egg, larva, pupa, and adult. There are four stages in the life cycle of a butterfly. Monarch caterpillars go through five instars, or stages between molts. It is now a lot more lively and almost 20mm long. Details from Monarch Lab: . The entire process is called complete metamorphosis and is one of two ways insects develop from an egg to an adult. My photo shows it finishing off a leaf that it began eating last night. In the first stage of life as a caterpillar, called the first instar, the larva is 2-6 mm long and does not have its … YouTuber Allen Miller filmed this video in real time, six minutes that showcase the larva (caterpillar) to pupa (chrysalis) transformation. Monarch caterpillars eat only milkweed leaves. Just like any normal butterfly, the Monarch butterfly undergoes the basic stages of the life cycle of a butterfly. The monarch chrysalis, where the caterpillar undergoes metamorphosis into the winged adult butterfly, is seafoam green with tiny yellow spots along its edge. Educated with simple instructions we were able to view all of the monarch caterpillar stages within a couple of weeks. The complete process of the life cycle of the Monarch is fascinating to observe in time-lapse. 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