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WELCOME TO: A BUTTERFLY IN TRANSFORMATION |
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| To make this site better and more effecient the site has been expanded. There are links where you will find many new high quality photos. Please click on the tabs above to find pictures illustrating the stages of complete metamorphosis. or simply scroll down and watch a complete metamorphosis transformation via an abreviated slideshow shown below. |
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See many more photos and slide shows illustrating complete metamorphosis of a monarch butterfly in transition from"Egg" "Caterpillar" "Chrysalis" to "adult butterfly" or click on the picture or texts above.
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Here is a complete monarch butterfly metamorphosis slide show. This full size 40 photo sequence shows highlights taken from the more indepth series shown via the links above. Auto advance on this show is set at 6 seconds. Click on the butterfly laying an egg to start the slide show.>>> |
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Many people confuse moths with butterflies. There are many similarities. |
All have scaley wings so entomologists classify them as Lepidoptera. Butterflies pupate as a chrysalis. |
Many species of moths spin a cocoon. To look at and compare the metamorphosis of a moth and a butterfly lick on the picture of the cecropia moth on the upper right. http://www.wormspit.com/cecropia.htm |
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This cecropia moth is laying a group of eggs on a twig. As eggs hatch and the caterpillars grow pictures will become available showing larvae growth and development. Cecropias moths are different than monarch butterflies. While monarch metamorphosis happens in about one month, it takes a full year for a cecropia caterpillar to grow up, spend the winter in a cocoon, and finally emerge the following spring as an adult moth.
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See many more photos and slide shows illustrating complete metamorphosis of a monarch butterfly in transition from"Egg" "Caterpillar" "Chrysalis" to "adult butterfly" or click on the picture or texts above.
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A personal statement about myself. I have had a deep fascination with insects, especially Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) literally since kindergarten. Instead of playing “Cowboys and Indians” with the neighbor kids I was out in a nearby field poking around at all sorts of critters. However, it was always the mystery of the beauty and flight of the butterflies that deeply absorbed my attention. It really was an all consuming passion. Early grade school years saw me collecting butterflies and then going to the college library to classify them. When it was possible to travel a little south of northern Minnesota it was challenging to see if I could find hybrids of white banded and red spotted purples. I thought about things like,” Female white morph sulphur butterflies are so common; why can’t I find any white males?” and so on. One outcome of this rather eccentric childhood is this current website Butterfly Metamorphosis. |
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To learn more about the natural world and get ideas for school projects, the following links to other websites may be of service. |
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Elementary school students may find many useful learning aids in the “Enchanted Learning” program at http://its.guilford.k12.nc.us/webquests/butterflies2/butterflies.htm |
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Kidzone is an excellent site for learning. Check out the monarch butterfly page and link to activities and other subjects. http://www.kidzone.ws/animals/monarch_butterfly.htm |
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Teachers may find this site of interest. Many learning activities are included in study guides. http://www.teachers.ash.org.au/jmresources/butlifecycle/ |
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This site sells monarch eggs, caterpillars and chrysalides. It is an easy way to see for yourself the marvel of metamorphosis. http://www.butterflybushes.com/monarch_metamorphosis.htm |
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More advanced studies on migration, population, ecology, conservation and more can be found below. |
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A global study of wildlife migration and global change is presented in this very useful site. http://www.learner.org/jnorth/ |
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“While "navigation" systems in automobiles are a fairly new (and still costly) innovation, monarch butterflies have managed for millennia to navigate their way for a distance of some 3000 miles (4800 kilometers) each fall from Canada to Mexico (and vice-versa in the spring) without losing their way. “ Search latest studies on how the monarch navigates its migration route. http://www.physorg.com/news5557.html |
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Learn about the University of Kansas “Monarch Watch” Find the latest on migration, tagging and present population trends. http://www.monarchwatch.org/index.html |
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| To email me, Click here |
New indepth digital slideshows are to be found on each page. The complete metamorphosis lifecycle is presented as a multiple series of indepth digital images. Don't miss out. Be sure to scroll down each 
