Biology Class Project 2016
Monarch Butterfly Project
Our class is studying the Monarch Butterfly population. We want to know:
This webpage will be updated as we research answers for our questions.
Photo by Anita Brunsting
Why are Monarch butterflies important?
Monarch butterflies are important for several reasons.
- First, they are beautiful and fun to watch.
- Second, they are pollinators. As they travel from flower to flower, they carry pollen which plants need to produce seeds.
- Third, because they are very noticable, they serve as indicators of the wider insect population. If people notice there are fewer Monarchs, that may mean that there is something affecting other insects as well.
Habitat
Before the weather turns cold, most Monarch butterflies migrate in the fall from the United States to Mexico where the winter climate is warmer. Some mitrate to California and Florida.
In the spring, their migration is reversed and they travel from Mexico to their spring and summer breeding grounds in the US.
Click on the map to go to the Monarch Watch website and learn more information about Monarch migration.
Life Cycle of Monarchs
Butterflies go through four phases as they develop: egg, larva, pupa, adult. It takes about one month for Monarchs to change from an egg into an adult butterfly. An egg will develop into the larva in about 4 days. The larva is the caterpillar. It will grown and get larger for 10 - 14 days. In the pupa stage, the caterpillar forms a crysalis. It will stay in the crysalis for 10 - 14 days, and when it emerges, it will be an adult butterfly.
