Monarch

 

These photos, all taken within a single week, capture the earliest stages of the monarch butterfly's remarkable life cycle. A monarch spends up to five days in the egg stage, tucked inside a tiny, dumpling-shaped egg, before emerging as a caterpillar. Its very first meal is its own nutrient-rich eggshell, giving the tiny caterpillar an important boost of energy.

Picture Credit: Claudia Rickles