#Stage picture shapes skin

Rather than hanging from a silk thread if disturbed, by the third instar monarch caterpillars will drop off the leaf entirely and curl into a ball. The front pair of legs are smaller than the other two pairs and have started to migrate slightly nearer to the caterpillar’s head. Both the front and back tentacles can now be clearly seen. Photo: Sid Mosdell (Cropped by ) Third instar monarch larvae are between 10 and 14 mm in length. Third instar monarch caterpillar with discarded skin. The monarch caterpillar spends a similar amount of time in the second instar stage as it did in the first (1 to 3 days). Second instar monarch larvae are between 6 and 9 mm in length. The second instar monarch larva has a greater number of bristle-like setae.

The back tentacles have begun to develop, but at this stage are very small.

Photo: Seney Natural History Association (cropped by ) After the second molt, the monarch caterpillar’s body has lost any remaining transparency, and its black, yellow and white bands are visible.Īlso visible at this stage are the caterpillar’s front tentacles. The caterpillar remains in the first instar stage for one to three days. The thread is produced by silk-producing organs called spinnerets which are located in the caterpillar’s head below the mouthparts. If disturbed, both first and second instar caterpillars will drop from the leaf and hang by a fine thread. On hatching, the caterpillar eats its egg then starts eating the leaf of the milkweed plant on which it was laid. Fine hairs (known as setae) can be seen on the caterpillar’s body. It will later develop dark stripes over a pale green background.ĭuring this stage the caterpillar is between 2 and 6 mm in length and lacks tentacles. Photo: Courtney Celley / USFWS (Cropped by ) The newly-hatched monarch caterpillar is pale green in color and has a shiny, slightly translucent body. Take a look at the following pictures so you know what to look out for… First Instarįirst instar monarch caterpillar. The time the monarch caterpillar spends in each instar is dependent on temperature.īecause there can be considerable differences in size between individuals in the same instar, other characteristics should be taken into account when attempting to identify the stage in which a caterpillar is in. After the first molt it is known as the second instar, and so on. The newly-hatched monarch caterpillar is the first instar. ‘Instar’ is the term used for a stage in an insect (or other arthropod’s) development. The final molt, which is performed while the caterpillar is hanging upside-down, reveals the cocoon in which the caterpillar will metamorphose into a butterfly. turning into a chrysalis).īefore its fifth and final molt, the caterpillar attaches itself to the underside of a leaf or other suitable surface. The caterpillar also undergoes slight changes in appearance at each stage.īy the end of the fifth stage of the monarch caterpillar’s development, it will have reached the size and weight required for pupation (i.e.

#Stage picture shapes skin

At the end of each stage the caterpillar molts (moults in British English).īy shedding its skin the caterpillar is able to continue growing each successive stage is larger and heavier than the last. What many people don’t know is that the monarch caterpillar itself has five stages of development.

You can find out about each of these stages on this page: The Life Cycle of the Monarch Butterfly.

Click photo to go to our monarch butterfly life cycle page. Most people know that the life cycle of the monarch butterfly has four distinct stages: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and imago (the adult butterfly). On this page we’ll find out about the 5 monarch ‘instars’ the stages a monarch caterpillar goes through before pupation… Monarch Caterpillar Stages What many people don’t know is that, as a caterpillar, the monarch also goes through several stages of development. The monarch butterfly, like all butterflies, goes through 4 main developmental stages: egg larva (caterpillar) pupa (chrysalis) and imago (adult butterfly). Find out about monarch caterpillar stages with pictures and facts.