Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) caterpillar, Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park, 2016.
Summary
The caterpillar goes through five distinct stages of growth and will molt after each stage. Amazingly, the fifth and final instar (i.e., stage) caterpillar is 2000x the size of the first instar that emerged from the egg!
Tags
Date
2016
Source
National Parks Gallery
Copyright info
Public Domain Dedication