Monarch Life Cycle
Egg | Larva/Caterpillar
| Pupa | Adult
All insects change in form as they grow; this process is called
metamorphosis. Butterflies and moths undergo complete metamorphosis, in
which there are four distinct stages:
egg, larva (caterpillar),
pupa, and
adult. Hormones circulating within the
body trigger the changes that occur during metamorphosis. It takes monarchs about
a month to go through the stages from egg to adult. The adults live another two
to six weeks in the summer. Monarchs that migrate live all winter, or about six
to nine months.
To learn more about each stage, click on its picture above.