Grades K–2 · Organisms
How does a butterfly change as it grows?
A caterpillar and a butterfly can be the same animal at different times in its life. The animal starts inside an egg. A tiny caterpillar hatches, eats and grows. It sheds its outer skin as it gets bigger.
Later, it becomes a pupa, often called a chrysalis. The outside can look quiet, but the body is changing inside. Parts of the caterpillar’s body are rebuilt, and the adult’s wings and other parts develop.
The adult butterfly comes out. Its soft wings spread and become ready for flight. It now has a very different shape and way of moving.
The feeding caterpillar and winged adult belong to one growing animal; the final eggs belong to its next generation.
An adult female can lay eggs that begin a new generation. The butterfly does not shrink back into an egg. Each new egg starts another animal’s growing journey.
About this explanation
Starting knowledge: Recognize a leaf and an insect picture; follow first, next and after with adult read-aloud support.
Sources
- Smithsonian Gardens — About Butterflies: Life Cycle
- Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History — Butterflies and Beyond
- Next Generation Science Standards — K-LS1: observation and patterns