Painted Lady Butterfly

Journal
Camille Bess
Dr. Alan Soward
Fall 2014

Life Cycle
Eggs
(3-5 days)

Butterfly
(2 weeks)

Caterpillar/Larva
(5-10 days)

Crysalis
(7-10 days)

Caterpillar stage

9-22-14

Life Cycle Journal Entries

Caterpillar stage: As it eats, the caterpillars skin gets

tighter. Soon it sheds this tight skin, emerging with new
skin underneath. Each caterpillar changes skin four times
before its fully grown. When this hairy black-and-yellow
caterpillar stops growing

9/22/14 -Butterflies arrived in their container they were

still in their caterpillar stage and moving around some.

9/23/14 Butterflies are still in their container. They seem

to be eating and moving around some. Their color is
changing a little.

Life Cycle Journal Entries

Eggs - Adult female butterflies lay their eggs on plants

that painted lady caterpillars like to eat, like thistle
or hollyhock. The eggs are the size of a pinhead.

Caterpillar stage: As it eats, the caterpillars skin gets

tighter. Soon it sheds this tight skin, emerging with
new skin underneath. Each caterpillar changes skin
four times before its fully grown. When this hairy
black-and-yellow caterpillar stops growing

Life Cycle Journal Entries

9/24/14 I havent moved them from their container.
They are eating more and Im seeing some silk beginning
to form. A few of them are now clinging to the sides and
the top of the container.
9/25/14 I checked on the caterpillars when I first woke
up. This was about 7 or 8 a.m. They were all hanging
from the top of the lid in the container. Around 1 I
went back to see how they were doing and I see more
silk. And one (in the center) has now formed a chrysalis.

The others are dark in color but have not changed to the
next stage. Later in the evening I went in and all are
now in their chrysalises.

Life Cycle Journal Entries

Chrysalis or Pupa (710 days) The caterpillar

finds a safe place to rest. With a silk thread
that comes out of a hole just below its mouth
(spinneret), the caterpillar spins a silk pad to
attach to. The caterpillar hangs from this pad.
Soon, the caterpillars skin splits open from
head to abdomen, revealing a dull, brownish
case underneaththe chrysalis. What is
happening in the chrysalis? Inside the chrysalis,
the caterpillar is becoming completely liquid
and reforming itself into a butterfly. The
butterfly pushes from inside until the case
splits open, and it slowly struggles out.

Life Cycle Journal Entries

9/26 All are developing nicely in their chrysalises. The
outer shells are light in color.

9/27/14- Today I put them in their habitat. **I forgot to

wait 3 days***.

9/28/14 Butterflies are nestling comfortably.

9/29/14 Butterflies are nestling comfortably. I usually

check on them 2-3 times a day. I also spent some time
today looking at different flowers and trying to decide
which would be best to give them.
9/30/14 No change. They are still hanging on the disk.

Chrysalis Has Formed

9-26 to 9-27

Life Cycle Journal Entries

10/1/14 - They are still nesting. One of the chrysalis

almost looks like it is partially open. The outer
casting looks as though its brittle and almost dried
up.

10/2/14 Today, two butterflies have emerged.

There is a little blood (meconium) on the disc and
some on the habitat. I put a few flowers in the
habitat with nectar.

10/3/14 - This morning about 8 a.m. all butterflies

have emerged. I put fresh flowers in the habitat, put
nectar on the flowers and then put in a small disc
filled with nectar water for them. They immediately
began to flutter towards the water (nectar).

Life Cycle Journal Entries

When the butterfly first emerges

from the chrysalis, its wings are
soft and crumpled. The tired
butterfly rests, and then slowly
unfolds its wings to dry.

After a few hours, the butterfly

will be ready to fly. The painted
lady butterfly has a 2-week life
span. During that time, its main
goal is to reproduce and lay eggs
so the cycle can begin again!

10/5/14 Butterflies released!

Beautiful weather it was 70
degrees today!!

Resources

http://www.learnaboutpaintedladies.com/lifecyclepaintedlady.html

http://
www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/butterfly/activities/printouts/paintedl
ady.shtml

http://earthsbirthday.org/home/comparing-life-cycles