第7章 Lesson 7: The Life Cycle of Butterflies

There are four different stages in the life cycle of a butterfly.

1. The egg—The egg is a tiny round or oval shape that gets attached by the female butterfly to a leaf, stem, or other object. The egg is usually attached near the intended caterpillar food.

2. The caterpillar or larva—The caterpillar or larva is the long, worm-like state of the butterfly. It sometimes has an interesting pattern of stripes or patches. It may have spine-like hairs. This is the feeding and growth stage of the butterfly. As the butterfly grows, it sheds its skin four or more times in order to enclose its rapidly growing body.

3. The chrysalis or pupa—The chrysalis or pupa is the transformation stage. The caterpillar tissues are broken down to form the adult insect structures. Usually the chrysalis is green or brown to blend into its surroundings. The chrysalis stage stays this way over the winter.

4. The adult or Imago—The adult or imago is the colourful butterfly you see throughout the warmer months of spring and summer. The adult stage is called the reproductive stage. These adults find their mates and then lay more eggs. The adult also finds new places to live.

I. Word List

life cycle: the stages of life that repeated over and over again

oval: shaped like an egg

transformation: to change from one type of animal to another

reproductive: having babies

enclose: to cover

II. Which stage is it? Choose the correct stage from the reading (1, 2, 3, or 4)

The adults find mates and lay more eggs. _______

The caterpillar tissue is broken down. _______

The egg is attached to a leaf, stem, or other object. _______

This is the feeding and growth stage of the butterfly. _______

It sheds its skin four or more times. _______

III. Circle the sentences that are true.

1. A butterfly turns into a caterpillar.

2. The chrysalis is usually black.

3. The caterpillar lays eggs.

4. The adult stage is the reproductive stage.

5. The butterfly sheds its skin two times.

IV. Answer the following questions.

1. Which can fly, the caterpillar or the butterfly?

___________________________________________________________.

2. Which stage is called the transformation stage?

___________________________________________________________.

3. Which stage happens over the winter?

___________________________________________________________.

4. What shapes can the egg be?

___________________________________________________________.

5. Why do you think the chrysalis blends in with its surroundings?

___________________________________________________________.