10 replies to this topic

[rptraut]

About three years ago we planted some milkweed plants in our flower gardens.  This is the first time I've found Monarch caterpillars living on them, two on this one plant!  It's great to provide nectar plants for butterflies but this points out the importance of providing the food plants that the caterpillars eat if we want them to mature into butterflies in the first place.  Plants like milkweed may not be the most conventional plants to have in a flower garden, but they are the one plant that Monarch caterpillars can eat.  

RPT

 

 

[ANTdrew]

That’s excellent! Those will be part of the super generation that migrates. It’s been years since I’ve seen caterpillars on my plants even though my yard is overrun with Asclepias syriaca.

[CAantz]

I have also seen an increase of these butterflies as well as some caterpillars on my neighbors plants.

[ANTdrew]

Californian populations have certainly benefited from an end to the extreme drought.

[Locness]

I plan to do some gardening with native plants this year. Local arboretums often have native plant sales yearly. My neighborhood seems to have a healthy population of butterflies, but I also want to turn my front and backyard into a feeding spot for all pollinators.

[ANTdrew]

That is an excellent plan. Fall is the best time to plant, too.

[Yourbasicantkeeper]

About three years ago we planted some milkweed plants in our flower gardens.  This is the first time I've found Monarch caterpillars living on them, two on this one plant!  It's great to provide nectar plants for butterflies but this points out the importance of providing the food plants that the caterpillars eat if we want them to mature into butterflies in the first place.  Plants like milkweed may not be the most conventional plants to have in a flower garden, but they are the one plant that Monarch caterpillars can eat.  

RPT

 

 

2023-07-28 001.JPG

damn! nice picture! (if you didn't take it off google images)

[rptraut]

Update on my "Google" Monarchs as of August 2, 2023

 

There are now three Monarch caterpillars (Danaus plexippus) on one milkweed plant (Asclepias syriaca), the two original ones and a smaller third caterpillar.  The milkweed plant they're living on is a single stem growing at the side of my driveway.  I have larger patches in the flower garden, but for some reason, no caterpillars.  My wife also spotted two caterpillars on a milkweed plant while walking the other day, and that plant is also a single stem growing at the side of the road.  This caterpillar is taking a break on a day lily leaf before resuming its' daily eating.

 

 

 

All these pictures were taken by me with a Canon EOS Rebel SL1 Camera and a Sigma DC 18-250 mm Macro HSM Zoom lens.  

RPT

[rptraut]

Update August 8, 2023

 

This is how I found one of the Monarch caterpillars (Danaus plexippus) today.  They position themselves in this manner from a leaf or twig and then split down the back and gradually shed their caterpillar skin, turning into a chrysalis.  

 

[AntsCali098]

We have a milkweed plant so see some of these every summer/spring, its awesome how they hang a j and make a cocoon, definitely cool to see their development. You can even sometimes catch the butterflies laying eggs, I saw one lay one once.

[rptraut]

Update Aug 9, 2023 Monarch (Danaus plexippus) caterpillar > butterfly

 

When I first saw the caterpillar this day it was still hanging in the J position from the leaf, but when I returned 20 minutes later, it was in the last of its' wriggling motions to shed the remaining piece of caterpillar skin.  The photo below shows the chrysalis as it was revealed at that time.  Inside the chrysalis a truly wonderful natural process occurs as the caterpillar transforms into an adult butterfly, a process called metamorphosis.  Ant keepers will be familiar with this process as a very similar transformation occurs when an ant larva becomes a pupa and then emerges as a worker ant.  

 

 

 

The chrysalis will go through a few colour changes before the butterfly emerges, I'll keep you posted.  

RPT