Our outdoor garden/lab is crawling with over 20 monarch caterpillars. One students said it looks like a caterpillar party! Monarchs are visiting the milkweed to feed and lay eggs. We have a dozen or so chrysalis’ hanging around waiting to finish the metamorphosis stage. Interesting facts: Monarch butterflies go through four stages during one life cycle, and through four generations in one year. We are watching the fourth generation now.

The fourth generation of monarch butterflies is a little bit different than the first three generations. The fourth generation is born in September and October and goes through exactly the same process as the first, second and third generations except for one part. The fourth generation of monarch butterflies does not die after two to six weeks. Instead, this generation of monarch butterflies migrates to warmer climates like Mexico and California and will live for six to eight months until it is time to start the whole process over again.  Website link for monarch butterflies in orange.