Monarch Butterflies Monarch Life Cycle and Life Cycle Circle Book Back to Life Cycle Circle Book Extension: Make an 8- page Life Cycle Circle Book The larva goes through 5 stages as it grows. Each stage is called an "instar." Each time, the larva sheds its skin in a process called molting. Why does it grow this way? A monarch's skeleton is on the outside of its body. As it grows it can no longer fit in its skin. A new skin develops under the old skin, and then the larva sheds the old skin.   Egg Larva: 1st instar Larva: 2nd instar Larva: 3rd instar Larva: 4th instar Larva: 5th instar (making chrysalis) Chrysalis Adult Photos 2-7: Jim Edson, University of Arkansas Fold an 8-page accordion book. (See the folding instructions below.) Use each page of your book for a new stage of the monarch's life. On the front cover (page 1), draw a monarch egg. Use the next 7 pages for each stage pictured above. The adult monarch will be on the back cover of the book. Because it is a circular book, the cycle will begin all over again with the egg when you flip the book. Folding Instructions: Start with an 8.5 X 11 inch piece of paper. Fold in half length-wise. Then cut along the fold. You have two pieces. Tape them together to make a long narrow strip. 1 2 3 Fold in half. Then fold each end to the center, as shown. This creates four equal pages. Next fold the ends out to meet the outside fold, as shown. Make the two remaining folds to make an accordion of eight equal-sized pages. 4: Tape the front and back pages together. You will have an 8-page book. Facebook Pinterest Twitter © 1997 – 2019 Journey North. All rights reserved.