The diagram illustrates the fascinating life cycle of a Monarch butterfly on a North milkweed plants, and in the South area.
Overall, this intricate cycle unfolds several distinct stages, beginning with the egg stage and culminating in the adult stage.
In the initial stages, male and female Monarch butterflies mate and lays eggs on milkweed plants. After the period of 14 days, baby larvae are hatched from one of these eggs in the larval stage; and by eating leaves from the tree those baby grow into caterpillars. As they grow, they develop essential organs, and contain enough nutrition for the next stage of their life. But before that, they attach themselves on the bough. In the next 10 days, caterpillars develop their appearance, the wings appear entirely in chrysalis; at this stage, the animals are referred to as young butterflies. Comes to the pupal stage, the caterpillars now have the emergence of adult Monarch butterflies; which have a gorgeous appearance with colorful wings. Monarch butterflies then migrant to the South and live there for 6 months. As they continue to mature, they come back to the North, then mating with other butterflies. The cycle then restarts as adult Monarch lay eggs, perpetuating the process of growth and development.