Monarch Caterpillar

Description:

Monarch larva with a complex banding pattern of white, yellow, and black stripes.

Habitat:

On milkweed in a large, open meadow. This meadow was full of milkweed, and although I checked at least 100 plants, this was the only monarch caterpillar that I saw. I also saw one adult monarch, but no pupae.

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.