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Graceful Butterflies

By H, Editor-in-Chief of H’S ANIMAL TIMES, June 30, 2021 – Vol. 4.

Butterflies, these delicate little beings flutter around together or alone. They bring peace and beauty where ever they go. They first appeared 40 – 50 million years ago. I will talk about monarchs later.

Caterpillars can be many different colors, some have spikes, some do not, some have stripes, and some do not. There are many different colors and designs that a butterfly can have depending on the species.

A monarch butterfly lays eggs on a milkweed plant, after 15-18 days the eggs will hatch. The caterpillars will eat and eat and eat. They will take breaks to shed their skin which is called molting. The caterpillars will then make a chrysalis, and they will sleep and change. After 7-15 days they will come out as butterflies!

A monarch caterpillar eats milkweed, adult butterflies suck nectar from flowers with their proboscis a tube like sucker which can role up just like hummingbirds with their beaks.

There are 20 million species of butterflies, they are found on almost every continent except Antarctica. There are many myths about butterflies. They come from many different places and by many different people such as the native Americans or the people of ancient Rome. Butterflies don’t sleep, they just rest. Some can fly 40 mph. but mostcanfly5–12mph.The largest butterfly is called the birdwing butterfly, its wing span is almost a foot wide! The birdwing butterfly flies like a bird.

Monarch caterpillars are white, black, and yellow striped, monarch butterflies are orange, outlined in black, and with black dots. There are four monarch generations every year, the first three generations live for 2-6 weeks, but the fourth generation lives for 8 or 9 months because it migrates to Mexico and California. Monarch butterflies are in danger because the caterpillars only eat milkweed so monarch butterflies only lay eggs on milkweed and the milkweed is going away, other species of butterflies are also endangered

Butterflies are grace full insects that suck nectar but some kinds like the monarch are in danger.

THE END

IN MY WORLD

I have a nursery for monarchs. They are fun to watch – especially to see them get bigger, make chrysalises and then butterflies and see them fly out and be free.

I also went to a place where monarchs gather in Goleta, CA – at the Coronado and Ellwood monarch butterfly groves. We were a little bit late so there were only 2 butterflies instead of thousands but it was still fun. There are fewer than there used to be – but we can change that!

HELP SAVE THIS SPECIES

Here are some instructions for how to make your own monarch nursery!

Step 1: Purchase a nursery.

Step 2: Find caterpillars and a milkweed plant. Put them in the nursery.

Step 3: Wait

Step 4: the caterpillar will build itself a chrysalis.

Step 5: the caterpillar will turn in to a butterfly in the chrysalis.

Step 6: The chrysalis will become transparent.

Step 7: the butterfly will hatch and wait for it’s wings to dry.

Step 8: when the wings are dry, the butterfly will start to flap its wings.

Step 10: release the butterfly in to the wild.