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Stage 1: The Egg |
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Most butterfly eggs are less than 1/2 inch long. They have tough shells with ridges. The adult female butterfly lays her eggs in the spring and summer on leaves that the caterpillars like to eat (this is their first source of food). Look at the size of the egg compared to the penny above! In South Dakota, we have a lot of monarch butterflies, and they like to lay their eggs on the milkweed plant. Unfortunately, only a few of the eggs will actually hatch, as many of the eggs will be eaten by other insects or birds. Some of the eggs will be killed because of diseases. |
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SD
