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CATERPILLARS AND BUTTERFLIES

ATTRACTING BUTTERFLIES
Here is a list of plants that attract adult butterflies.
 

Aster
Blanket Flower
Daylily             
Phlox              
Sunflower
Verbena              

Black-eyed Susan
Butterfly Bush
Milkweed
Purple Coneflower
Sweet Alyssum
Yarrow
**A contributor also reports that watermelon rinds left outside for a couple of days will also attract butterflies.
 

BUTTERFLIES VS. MOTHS
Here are some ways to help children identify the differences between these two insects.

A BUTTERFLY
Spins a chrysalis.
Has straight antennae with knobby ends.
Is awake during the day and asleep at night.
Rests with its wings straight up.
 
A MOTH
Spins a cocoon.
Has feathery antennae without knobs.
Is asleep during the day, and only comes out at night.
Rests with its wings flat.
 
THE LIFE CYCLE OF A BUTTERFLY
The Egg stage.  An adult butterfly lays an egg on a leaf.
The Larva stage.  The caterpillar hatches from the egg.  It eats the shell it was born in plus some of the leaves around it.
The Pupa stage.  The caterpillar hangs from a branch and weaves a chrysalis.  The caterpillar begins to change again inside the chrysalis.
The Adult stage.  Finally the chrysalis bursts open and out flies a butterfly.
 
Make up some Sequence Cards for your child to use to put the stages in the proper order.
 
CATERPILLARS
Help your child find real caterpillars to observe. How do they crawl?
Have your child practice crawling like a caterpillar.
Make up a song about the Eensy Weensy Caterpillar who climbed up the garden wall.
Read the story "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" to your child.
Glue short pieces of thick fuzzy yarn on green paper.
Make chain caterpillars from brown paper strips.
Cut bottoms of egg cartons in half to create two long caterpillars when placed up-side-down. Add pipe cleaner antennas.
 
BUTTERFLIES
Help your child find real butterflies to observe. How do they fly?
Cut large butterfly shapes out of colorful wrapping paper. Hang them on the wall.

Cut small butterfly shapes out of colored tissue paper. Have your child brush water onto a piece of paper, then place the butterflies all over the paper.

Make butterfly cheese sandwiches. Cut a piece of cheese and a piece of bread diagonally. Lay a pickle in the middle of a salad plate and arrange the two bread pieces on the plate with their 90% corners each pointed towards the pickle. Lay the cheese piece on top of the bread pieces.