Monarch Butterflies

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Monarch Butterflies
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Objectives

• You will know the life cycle of the monarch
  butterfly.

• You will know the body parts of the monarch
  butterfly.

• You will know about the defense and migration of
  the monarch butterfly.

3
What do you already know about monarch
butterflies?
4
The Life Cycle
Egg
Caterpillar / Larva
Chrysalis / Pupa
Adult (Butterfly)
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Egg

• The egg is sticky.

• It is laid on the bottom of a milkweed plant
  leaf.

• It hatches in a few days.

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Caterpillar / Larva

• The caterpillar, also known as the larva, eats
  the eggshell and the milkweed leaves.

• The caterpillar molts, or sheds, its skin about
  five times.

• It hangs upside down on the milkweed plant.

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Chrysalis / Pupa

• The caterpillar then forms a chrysalis, or pupa,
  around its body.

• The chrysalis is green with dots. Later it
  becomes clear and an orange and black butterfly
  can be seen inside.

• This change is called metamorphosis.

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Adult (Butterfly)

• The adult butterfly comes out of the chrysalis
  in about two weeks.

• It pumps liquid into its wings from the abdomen.

• The wings must dry before the adult can fly.

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The Body Parts

• The monarch butterfly has three main parts the
  head, the thorax, and the abdomen.

• It has two antennae for touch and smell.

• It has a compound eye which means it is made up
  of many lenses.

• It has four wings. The fore wings are the upper
  wings and the hind wings are the lower wings.

• Six legs are attached to the thorax.

• It tastes with its feet!

• The butterfly sucks nectar through the proboscis.

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Video Clip of the Birth of a Monarch Butterfly
http//www.youtube.com/watch?vC-sKCGHLHiY
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Defense

• The monarch is protected from predators because
  of its bad taste. Birds get sick from eating it.

• Another butterfly, called the viceroy, look
  similar to the monarch but does not have the bad
  taste. Birds stay away from both of these
  butterflies.

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Migration

• Monarch butterflies migrate each year in the
  fall.

• They fly during the day.

• They can fly twelve miles per hour.

• They can migrate four thousand miles to find a
  warm climate.

• They often rest in trees. Sometimes these look
  like butterfly trees.

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Summary of What We Have Learned

• The monarch butterflys life cycle is made up of
  four stages. These are the egg, caterpillar /
  larva, chrysalis / pupa, and adult (butterfly).

• The butterfly has three main body parts. These
  are the head, thorax, and abdomen. The other
  parts include the antennae, compound eyes, four
  wings, six legs, and the proboscis.

• The monarch is protected from predators because
  of its bad taste. The Viceroy looks similar to
  the monarch but does not have the bad taste.

• The monarch migrates each year in the fall and
  can fly an average of twelve miles per hour.
  They rest in trees which then look like butterfly
  trees.

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Quiz Time!

• Now that we know all about monarch butterflies
  we are going to take a little quiz. I hope you
  were paying attention!

• I will hand out a worksheet which will ask you
  to label the life cycle and the body parts of the
  monarch butterfly, and also answer a few
  questions on defense and migration.

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Classroom Monarch Butterflies

• We are going to have our own monarch butterflies
  in the classroom!

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Acknowledgements

• Monarch Butterfly Migration. Monarch Butterfly
  Journey North. 20 February 2008.
  http//www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/monarch/AboutFall
  .html
• Monarch Butterfly. Enchanted Learning. 2 March
  2008. lthttp//www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/b
  utterfly/species/Monarch.shtmlgt.
• The Monarch Butterfly. Kid Zone. 28 February
  2008. lthttp//www.kidzone.ws/animals/monarch_butte
  rfly.htmgt

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The End