www.britishcouncil.

org/learnenglishkids

Butterfly life cycle

Butterflies are beautiful, brightly coloured insects. What do they look like before they become
butterflies? Let’s find out!

1) Can you match the pictures and the words?

2) There are four stages in the life cycle of a butterfly-the egg stage, the larva stage, the pupa
stage and the adult stage. Can you identify the 4 stages in the descriptions below? (The
descriptions are not in the correct order!)

The ________________stage The ________________stage

The caterpillar attaches itself The life cycle of a butterfly

to a leaf and makes a pupa, or begins when the mother
chrysalis. This is a hard shell butterfly lays an egg on a leaf or
that protects it from other plant. The egg hatches into a
animals. small larva, or caterpillar.

The ________________stage The ________________stage

The caterpillar eats leaves and Inside the chrysalis it grows

grows bigger. As it grows wings and legs. The chrysalis
bigger, the caterpillar loses its opens and a butterfly comes
old skin and grows a new skin. out. It slowly opens its wings
It eats more leaves and and then it can fly. The life cycle
changes its skin four or five begins again.
times. This is called ‘moulting’.
Then it looks for a good place to
rest.

© The British Council, 2009

The United Kingdom’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations. A registered charity : 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland).