Monarch Butterfly

The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), or simply the monarch, is a species of butterfly native to North America.

Life cycle
The female monarch butterfly lays eggs on leaves. The eggs stay white until the newborn caterpillar hatches out of the egg and eats an eggshell first off. Then the caterpillar molts its old skin and grows its new skin. Then it eats the leaves until it gets full. When it stops eating the leaves, it hangs upside down on a branch. Then it takes off its clothes and makes a chrysalis. Inside, the caterpillar keeps on changing. Later on, the chrysalis gets darker and the butterfly emerges. It stays on the chrysalis while waiting for its wings to harden. Then after that, it flies away and sips nectar from flowers. Then the life cycle starts again.

Migration
Monarch butterflies fly away from cold places in the winter, and migrate into the warm woodlands in Mexico. They spend most of their time breeding, laying eggs, and hiding away from predators such as birds. In spring, the monarchs fly back up north to cooler places to breed and sip nectar from flowers.