The monarch butterfly is also called the "milkweed butterfly" so called for the larva plant of this butterfly. Milkweed is the primary food for the larva. Adult female monarchs lay their eggs on the underside of milkweed leaves. These eggs usually hatch in three to twelve days. The larvae feed on the plant leaves for about two weeks and develop into caterpillars.
Eastern populations winter in Florida, along the coast of Texas, and in Mexico, and return north in spring. Monarch butterflies follow the same migration patterns every year. It is not unusual to see huge numbers of butterflies gathered together during migration
It's very interesting Bob! Thank you for sharing these pictures. It's really a beautiful story!
Nicole
Sharon
19-Sep-2006 17:21
Bob! This morning at 6:15 am, the monarch butterfly emerged..19 days in total..I watched this amazing creature break through, unfold. I placed my finger near the milkweed and he? she? crawled onto the tip, still upsided down and flexed it's wings, it's legs one at a time, the probosis would curl and uncurl. Finally, the butterfly walked back and rehung, still upsided down until Noontime..at that time the wings looked strong, vibrant (the colours, such beauty!) and he/she took off, out of my window and then right over to the stand of milkweed, flitted about and sailed off. The storm that originally brought this broken milkweed plant with the chysallis is but a dry rusk..
sharon
07-Sep-2006 15:01
Love this image story...my yard is filled with monarch caterpillars and some are in chrysalis..how long do they stay in chrysalis?