DO YOUR PART- grow milkweed

[Fuerte Rav]

Thanks Dolly, it fascinates me as well. It reminds me a piece of silk crumpled in your hand!
I'm annoyed that one of the shots was out of focus and I didn't realise until too late - that was a stage I hadn't captured on camera at all before. Next time .....

[Roberta]

Oh wow! Wonderful photos!

[Dollythehun]

I just saw this article and thought I'd share the link.

A fluttery flying technique - Science & Tech - WORLD

[DirtyCoconuts]

Super cool!!
I have always known they were incredible flyers. If you watch them try to land on a particular flower in a breeze. They are amazing

[WaterWitchin]

Just saw this photo series. Gracias! Awesome capture of the process!

[Fuerte Rav]

Plenty of Monarchs feeding on the Milkweed today in my garden:



I've got two new crops of caterpillars - the first are now about 1cm (half inch) long and the second batch are minute, hardly visible. I'll be eaten out of house and home within a fortnight!

[Fuerte Rav]

Observed a new behaviour today. One of the large Monarch caterpillars (probably 4th or 5th instar) was really pi**ed off and spitting green fluid for all he was worth! Internet research gave 3 possible causes:
1. Poisoning. Don't think it is as other 25 or so on plant all ok.
2. Disturbance. Possibly.
3. Overcrowding. Probably. At least 25 caterpillars have been through their instars on this plant over the last fortnight, food is rapidly diminishing. The caterpillars have eaten the ends of the stalks and the seed pods as well as most of the leaves. I think there are just enough edible bits for them to finish growing and go off to do their next bit. I've moved the new crop of tiny caterpillars to a reserve plant that I keep under a net.




little and large

[Fuerte Rav]

Hopefully a new crop of eggs/caterpillars will be on their way after a pair of Monarchs got down and dirty yesterday!

[Fuerte Rav]

Cut a load of basil to make pesto the other day but unfortunately some Monarch chrysalids were hiding in it. Found them before they hit the blender
Put those stalks of basil in a jam jar and I'm keeping it in the conservatory for now.



a few days on and you can start to see the wings inside:




Others from the same army took up in the hibiscus:



I estimate I have about 50 chrysalids hanging around at the moment!

Nothing to do with the Monarchs but I also found these eggs on the basil - amazing symmetry! No idea what they belong to.

[yug]

I grow a number of plants that the bees love to visit when blooming. For Monarch's, we have various types of crown-flowers instead of milkweed. Our Monarch's don't migrate; they don't need to. We have all they need here year-round.