The picture demonstrates the life span of a monarch butterfly.
Overall, the reproduction of the monarch butterfly includes four phases: egg, larva, pupa, and adult, commencing with eggs being laid on milkweed plants and culminating with mating and egg-laying.
First, the female butterfly lays its eggs on milkweed leaves, seemingly to keep danger at bay. It takes approximately 14 days for the eggs to hatch into larvae, also known as caterpillars. The caterpillar then feeds on the milkweed leaves to grow, and when ready to pupate, it attaches itself to the side of a leaf and hangs upside-down before covering its body in a type of temporary shell called a chrysalis.
After about 10 days, the chrysalis splits open, and the adult butterfly finally emerges. With the capability of flight, it migrates south, living there for about 6 months. When returning north, it finds a partner to mate, and then the whole process begins again.