Yesterday we started our living and non-living science unit with the arrival of soon to be butterflies. Over the next few weeks we will examine the life cycle of living things.
Think about what a caterpillar looks like. Now think about a butterfly do the two look alike or different? They look very different, but both are parts of the life cycle of a butterfly. All living things change as they grow, but some young animals look very much like their parents while others do not.
Insects such as the butterfly go through four stages of growth. The egg is the first stage of growth. Very often the butterfly will lay eggs on the underside of leaves. The larva is the second stage of growth. The larva is the insect when it hatches. A larva eats all of the time. Their first meal is the leaf on which the egg was laid. When the larva has eaten and grown larger, it stops eating and makes a hard covering for itself. The insect is now a pupa and is in the third stage of growth. The insect slowly changes when it is in the pupa. When the changes are completed the adult insect comes out. This is the fourth stage of growth. The adult insect looks like the adult that laid the eggs on the underside of the leaf. This four stage life cycle that an insect like a butterfly goes through is called complete metamorphosis.
Other animals, like grasshoppers, go through a three stage life cycle. A three stage life cycle has an egg stage, a nymph stage, and an adult stage. The first stage is just like the four stage life cycle, an egg. But, when the egg hatches the animal in the second stage looks almost like a small adult. The animal is called a nymph. The nymph eats and grows until it sheds it outer skin a number of times and then develops into an adult. This three stage life cycle is called incomplete metamorphosis.
What stage of life is your butterfly currently? What are some things you noticed about your butterfly? How long do you think this stage will last? Did you name your butterfly?
Remember to use my email khutchinson@questac.org to respond
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Myne is a caterpillar still it will turn into a butterfly next!
My butterfly is still a catipiler. It has climbed alot and has not stopped. I think this stage will last for about two or three weeks. I named my butterfly rose because when I was little my middle name was going to be rose but was named different.
My catiplar’s name is Turbo but he is really lazy he like to sleep alot just like me he dosen’t have his spikes yet but the next form is a criselis then a butter fly.
P.S. the word that noah ask is metamorphosis.
Jr. has not came out of his cave. Jr. is still a caterpillar.
My caterpillar has not grown much. But it was hanging from a side of the cup since yesterday.And finally got down after last recess today. Oh and I named it Anna if its a girl and Olaf if it is a boy
Steve has not grown yet but soon I think it will. maybe the next day it will shed its skin.
My butterfly is in the stage of Larva. It has grown a little but not much. I think this stage will last two weeks or three. My caterpillar is named Olaf because I like the name Olaf. By By!!
the stage that my butterfly is in now is the larva stage.some things that I noticed are that a larva walks one foot behind the other and when it walks it walks in a wave. I think the stage will last for 5-10 days. the name that I named my soon to be butterfly is demand!!!
My butterfly is in the stage of larva. I’ve noticed that it has not changed in size yet.
I think it will last 5 to 10days. My butterfly’s name is Elsa.
I named mine Mr. Puffles and still is a catapiller but soon I mine will become a butterfly.
my butterfly is in larva stage. my butterfly likes to clime a lot and eat. i think the stage will last 5 to 10 days. i named my larva delirious because it means crazy and i’m crrrrrrrazy i like to be crazy.
My caterpillar is still a larva. Her name is Cristal. I think she will live until she is a pretty butterfly.:) 🙂 🙂
I named my Butterfly William and I think i’ll have to wait up to 3 weeks. My butterfly loves the lid.
My butterfly is a larva its name is lilly it is black and has a white stripe
My butterfly is a larva its name is Mrs. Isabella she is light brown and at the end of the body it is black. She likes the lids. I wonder what color there going to be rain bow, bright yellow , pink , blue , green, purple, red and we all are going to all see wait color there color.
Mine is still at the lava stage. My first one named bob died so I named this one bob junior.
Mine is in the larva stage. I noticed that it has been changing color. It will be in this stage for 5 to 10 days. My larvas name is Anna.
Mine is a larva because it’s moving. It’s building a cave and eating to sleep in the cave. It will last 5 weeks and his name is Henry. 🙂
today Mr. Chubby is 1 cm long. he likes to clap
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