Defenses!!

It is important to note that Monarch Butterflies lay their eggs on and feed solely on milkweeds. Milkweeds are crucial to their life cycle, especially in its caterpillar and butterfly stages. When a Monarch caterpillar eats the milkweed, the toxin that is contained within its leaves is ingested and stays with the caterpillar throughout its life, even when it is a butterfly. So, naturally, their eating of the milkweed acts as a type of defense mechanism that deters birds and other vertebrates from eating them. However, this is not the only defense mechanism that a Monarch exhibits. Their bright orange color, as seen in the image above, acts as a way to warn predators of their danger. These two defense mechanisms allow for the Monarch to have a greater rate of survival.

From Egg to Butterfly

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.