White butterfly life cycle
In this activity, students use white butterfly eggs, larvae and pupae to examine the white butterfly life cycle and to compare it with that of a monarch butterfly.
By the end of this activity, students should be able to:
observe and discuss the life cycle of the white butterfly
compare and contrast the white butterfly’s life cycle with that of the monarch
record and graph caterpillar growth.
Monarch butterfly life cycle
The life cycle of the monarch butterfly. Click on one of titles to find out more about each stage.
Download the Word file (see link below) for:
introduction/background notes
instructions on what you need and what to do
discussion questions
student handout.
Related content
Read more about white butterflies and monarch butterflies.
In this activity, watch a video on rearing moths and then write a ‘how to’ guide on Rearing insects.
Participate in one of the citizen science projects below that have a focus on butterflies and moths:
The Pieris Project – an international project working on DNA profiling white butterflies to determine their ancestry and origin.
Ahi Pepe MothNet – a Participatory Science Platform initiative that investigates the distribution and ecology of our native and introduced moth species.
Big Butterfly Count – this project, run by the Moths and Butterflies of New Zealand Trust (MBNZT), collects data about butterflies in our gardens, schools, parks and farms – any location in the country or on the outer islands. This is usually held over one weekend in February.
Useful link
Visit the Wikipedia website to see images of the Pieris rapae life cycle.
