Safari Ltd Life Cycle of a Monarch ButterflySafari Ltd Life Cycle of a Monarch Butterfly From nearly invisible eggs, tiny striped caterpillars emerge. They begin feeding on the surrounding milkweed leaves immediately, storing food for the transition to come. After two weeks, they form a chrysalis, from which a monarch butterfly emerges after another two weeks. Characteristics: Thanks to its bright orange and black coloring, the monarch is one of the best known butterfly species. Its amazing