Monarch Butterfly

Description:

Small domed eggs, white with a slight yellow tint (or is this just an illusion caused by the background of the leaves?), series of grooves run from base to tapered top, eggs laid singly on the underside of milkweed leaves. Early instar larvae white with dark head, progressively gain darker and darker striped with each new instar – late instars striped black/yellow/white and have a set of tentacles at the head and rear. Fifth instar larvae eventually stop eating and find a secure place to pupate – hanging upside down in a “J” position and shedding their skin a final time. Pupa are jade green with symmetrical gold spots, and a stripe of black white and gold. The pupa generally turns clear the evening before eclosion, and the familiar black white and gold adult emerges the following morning or afternoon. Monarchs are brush-footed butterflies with 4 clearly visible legs and a 3rd pair of smaller legs near the head.

Habitat:

Host plant for juveniles include milkweed plants of various types, adults will nectar on a wide range of flowers.

Notes:

The first photo was taken back in mid August, and the last two were taken yesterday. The first image shows he newly hatched larvae eating it's eggshell, the second is a 5th instar larvae, the third is a recently pupated monarch, the fourth is a pupa almost ready to eclose, and the lsat two are of the adult female. About a month ago I noticed a female monarch laying eggs on honeyvine growing as a weed in my lawn. I needed to mow, but didn’t want to destroy the eggs, so I brought them inside. I’ve been raising three of the resultant larvae in my window, and it has been a phenomenal experience! To my delight, the first of the pupas eclosed yesterday to reveal the most beautiful female monarch. Unfortunately we are experiencing a bit of a cold snap right now, with temps barely rising above the fifties. I brought her outside yesterday, but she was unable to fly yet. I plan to keep her another day or so, and attempt another release sometime tomorrow afternoon when it is a bit warmer. She has a long flight ahead of her as she joins the others of her generation in their great migration to their overwintering grounds! There are loads of other photos over on my blog in a daily record of the monarch’s life cycle (I’ve fallen a bit behind, but I’ll upload more soon). I definitely plan to plant more milkweed and do this again next year!