The first stage in the life cycle of the Monarch Butterfly is the egg. A female butterfly lays her egg on the flower buds of a milkweed plant. After the egg hatches, the larva feeds on the leaves of the milkweed until it reaches its mature caterpillar stage. Once this point is reached, the caterpillar attaches itself to an object (potentially the milkweed) and hangs upside down in a “J” formation and is ready to form its chrysalis. Without the chrysalis stage, the caterpillar would be unable to transform into a butterfly. After what could take weeks, the chrysalis begins to change from green to black and slowly orange wings begin to appear through the clear chrysalis. The chrysalis will then split open and the butterfly will emerge. Throughout the life of this butterfly, it will reproduce and the cycle will begin again.
A more in depth explanation of the process can be found here.
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