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Track Our Progress:
Brassica and Butterfly Life Cycles

Click on the days below to see our Brassicas and butterflies develop through their life cycles. Then, see an animation of the entire fast-plant life cycle in timelapse, at the bottom of the page.

See the Life Cycle activity instructions for questions to consider, use the Brassica & Butterfly Data Sheet (PDF) to record your observations, then share your results on the discussion board.

FAST PLANT
(Brassica rapa)
CABBAGE WHITE BUTTERFLY
(Pieris rapae)
fast plants day 0
Day 0
: Seeds planted
butterfly day  0
Day 0
: Eggs
fast plants day 2
Day 2
: Seeds germinate
fast plants day 4
Day 4
: vegetative growth
butterfly day 4
Day 4
: first larval stage emerges
butterfly day 6
Day 6
: first larval stage feeds
butterfly day 8
Day 8
: First larval stage molts to second larval stage
fast plants day 10
Day 10
: Flower bud development
butterfly day 10
Day 10
: Second larval stage feeds
butterfly day 12
Day 12
: Second larval stage molts to third larval stage
fast plants day 14
Day 14
: Flowering and pollination
butterfly day 14
Day 14: fourth larval stage molts to fifth larval stage
butterfly day 16
Day 16: Fourth larval stage feeds
butterfly day 18
Day 18
: Fifth larval stage feeds
fast plants day 20
Day 20
: Seed pods form
butterfly day 20
Day 20
: Pupae form
fast plants day 22
Day 22
: Seeds develop in pods
butterfly day 22
Day 22
: Pupae developing
butterfly day 26
Day 26
: emergence imminent
butterfly day 30
Day 30
: Butterfly emerges
butterfly day 32
Day 32
: Butterflies feed
fast plants day 34
Day 34
: Senescence and seed ripening
butterfly day 36
Day 36
: butterflies mate
butterfly day 38
Day 38
: Egg-laying
fast plants day 40
Day 40
: Death and seeds ripe
butterfly day 40
Day 40
: Cycle begins again

fast plant animation

START fast plant animation | STOP fast plant animation

 

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