Mrs. Shari Frost : Monarch Butterfly Project

Mrs. Shari found a monarch butterfly caterpillar in her yard on September 4, 2007 and brought it to school. She brought some of the leaves with the caterpillar so it could eat each day. We will take pictures of the caterpillar each day and post changes as they happen! We hope you will visit our site often and take a look at the changes we see!
(A site for more information about Monarch Butterflies can be found at: http://www.kidzone.ws/animals/monarch_butterfly.htm)

This is how our caterpillar looks on September 5, 2007.
leaf:

September 6, 2007

When Mrs. Shari came into the classroom, our caterpillar was hanging upside down. It looked like he was ready to develop into a chrysalis, but at the end of the day he was still hanging upside down without making a start on the chrysalis shell.

September 7, 2007

On this morning, the caterpillar had accomplished making himself into a chrysalis! There is excitement in the entire preschool! :)

September 18, 2007

This morning when Mrs. Shari arrived at school, the chrysalis was black instead of green. By 8:15 the butterfly was starting to emerge. Unfortunately Mrs. Shari didn't get a photo of the black chrysalis, but did get some photos of the butterfly emerging! Sorry that the photos are not very clear, but you get the idea. In the first photo, you can see the large abdomen. The butterfly inflates it's wings with a pool of blood it has stored in it's abdomen.

emerge:

When this is done, the monarch expels any excess fluid and rests. (I am sure it deserves it's rest!) Our butterfly did expel the excess fluid which is now on the milkweed leaves in the bottom of the butterfly pavilion.

butterfly: