My gardens have been full of monarch butterflies either laying eggs, or drinking nectar. This morning I found a good 40 caterpillars on one plant alone. To say my milkweed is dwindling is a huge understatement.
I released a total of six more monarch butterflies yesterday and today. Here is a glimpse of the few.
A monarch caterpillar molting its old skin on a milkweed stem. This happens, so it can enter into the next instar. This process occurs four times before reaching its desired length of 2″.
There are about a dozen monarch caterpillars taking up residence in our butterfly house. They are all pretty close to being done eating.
To learn more about the stunning monarch, visit: https://bit.ly/3g2XGca.
We currently have three monarch caterpillars in our butterfly house, with one finishing up the molting process.
Did you know that a caterpillar will grow its new skin before shedding the old? When it molts, or sheds its skin, the larger skin is then exposed allowing the caterpillsr to enter the next instar and continue eating.
Our J turned into a chrysalis this morning in the butterfly house. It never gets old, watching a monarch caterpillar transform into a chrysalis. Here is a photo series of the final stages of the transformation.
When the caterpillar is ready, the skin splits behind its head, as it moves its body to shed its old skin. When the last of the skin slips off at the silk mat, the caterpillar has finished its chrysalis. In about 10 to 12 days, the butterfly will emerge.
