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Danaus plexippus
Large orange and black butterfly with a powerful flight, often sailing with wings open held in "V". The male has a black scent patch on a HW vein, topwing. Host plant: Milkweeds (Asclepias)
Open fields, roadsides, suburban areas. While migrating it can be anywhere.
The Monarch female lays a single ova (egg) at a time, on asclepias, or milkweed. Three to four days later the egg hatches. Immediately after hatching the larva eats his own egg shell for his first meal. He'll then go on to eat the milkweed, stopping to molt 4 times. With each instar he grows bigger. At 5th instar he will molt one last time to form his chrysalis (larval stage is about 10-14 days). The final image is 3 different instars. The center larva had just molted and you can see his old skin behind him.
11 Comments
Thank you Mayra
GREAT SERIES!!!
Thank you Sarah and pamsai.
Amazing series...
This is an amazing capture!
#4 is my fav.....touching that leaf for the first time....
Thank you J and auntnance.
Actually I have more to show of this life cycle......the hanging "J", the chrysalis and the eclosing of the monarch. I'll try to post soon.
Love photo #5. Super job, Diane.
Stellar series!
wonderful! You show us the life cycle of the Monarch and "the larva eats his own egg shell for his first meal" is a great fact to know..
thank you a lot for share this amazing series with us.
Thank you Yuko. I moved pic #4 to the #1 spot so you can see it better. It's my favorite too.
Amazing series!!! What a lovely moment you captured! Love the pic #4 in which he is poking his tiny head out. So cute!