A M ona r ch ' s L ife
The bright orange and black wings of the monarch butterfly have made it the most widely known
butterfly in North America. A fully-grown monarch can reach nearly five inches from wing to wing.
Learn about their life cycle below and use markers to color the final stage!
STAGE 1: The monarch egg is laid only on milkweed plants.
STAGE 2: The caterpillar eats its way out of the egg and eats the surrounding milkweed plant.
STAGE 3: After about two weeks, the caterpillar transforms into pupae and attaches
itself to a leaf or branch using silk. Then, it sheds its skin and forms a hard shell.
1.
2.
3.
Butterfly
STAGE 4:
In 9 – 15 days, a fully formed
monarch butterfly breaks
through. Adult butterflies
survive by drinking nectar
from flowers.
C olor
M e !
Exciting New Flutter Fest!
Grab your friends, family and classmates and join us for Flutter Fest on September 23, 2017
at the Louisville Zoo! Help us tag 1,000 monarch butterflies for release to make their amazing
journey. There will be craft stations, educational stations with buggy artifacts — plus pollinator
parades! You can even meet the Very Hungry Caterpillar. Learn more about butterflies and this
great new event at LouisvilleZoo.org/flutterfest