Monarch Caterpillar

Description:

Monarch larva with a complex banding pattern of white, yellow, and black stripes. The white dots on the prolegs, in addition to the large size of this caterpillar (5cm) indicate that this is probably a 5th instar larva. I spotted 4 monarch caterpillars (4th and 5th instars) in this meadow, but no eggs, pupae, or adults.

Habitat:

On milkweed in a small woodland meadow.

Notes:

Monarch metamorphosis from egg to adult takes as little as 25 days, However, it is estimated that fewer than 10% of monarch eggs and caterpillars survive because they are so vulnerable to weather, parasites, and disease. Monarchs are harbingers of environmental change, and it seems that their numbers may be continuing to decline.