Molting Monarchs

Have you ever watched a caterpillar molt or shed its skin? It's really cool! These are monarch caterpillars, but all species of butterfly and moth larvae do this at least five times.

First they spin a silken pad under themselves.Then, in muscular movements, after they've pumped enough fluid between the old and new skin, they wriggle out, head first.The head capsule soon falls off (the caterpillar often has to rub or knock it off), revealing a lighter face that will darken within a couple of hours. Usually, after it's "rested", the caterpillar will turn around and eat its old skin. Not all species do this, and not all species that usually do this will eat their skin every time.

The last time they molt, the pupa is revealed. Most moths, and only a few butterflies, will first spin a cocoon, pupating shortly after the cocoon has been constructed.

It's truly fascinating to watch! --LKR

American Painted Lady Eggs

The past few days, I've been collecting American painted lady eggs off of everlastings that are growing wild in our lawn. You can enlarge the image to see the little green eggs on these leaves.

Not once have I seen these butterflies flitting about, but obviously they are around! Soon these will hatch, grow, pupate, and emerge, and we will have more of these beautiful orange butterflies to enjoy!

A photo of an adult American Painted lady can be seen here: http://lezasleps.blogspot.com/2007/09/some-vanessa-butterflies.html

--LKR

Sphinx Moth

I couldn't believe it! My hubby went out early this Father's Day morning to get a paper at the local gas station before church, and came home with a moth!!! Of course, I was delighted! Hubby was afraid someone would step on or otherwise harm it. Hummm, this sounds reminiscent to my dobsonfly post!!! You can read about that here: http://naturemom.blogspot.com/search/label/Dobsonfly

Anyway, the above is what he brought home. Yup, a beautiful sphinx moth!!! You can tell by the thin antennae that it's a female. Males have wider, more feathery antennae that pick up the pheromone scent produced by females.

It's true identity is still unknown. The closest sphinx species it resembles is the big poplar sphinx moth, but they have not been recorded--or updated--as being this far east. --LKR

Monarch Eggs and Caterpillars

This morning, I found a creamy white colored monarch egg under one of the leaves of a small milkweed plant's leaf. Hearing of possible drenching rains in the forecast for later on, today, I headed over to the fields down our street on a mission to save other monarchs!!!

My youngest daughter came along to help gather up more. Pictured above are the 19 eggs we found in about an hour. We also found 15 very young caterpillars. At the beginning of the summer months, I used to check our milkweed garden two to three times a day for newly laid eggs. If I didn't get them first, the ants and spider mites often did!

These are first instar caterpillars. An instar is the period between molts. Caterpillars molt, or shed their skin, several times as they grow, just like a snake does.

These two larvae hatched a few days apart from each other. These two larvae are getting ready to shed their skin.

Smaller larvae are often found hidden among the newer, tightly packed leaves at the top of the milkweed.

This is how we've raised most species of butterflies for well over a decade with great success. (This method should not be used for swallowtails.) Eggs, as well as the first two instars of a caterpillar's life, need more humidity or they often quickly dry up and die. However third, fourth, and fifth instar larvae easily pick up diseases and die if kept in this much humidity.
--LKR

A Monarch Sighting!!!

Finally!!!

It seemed like forever, but our monarch butterflies are finally back!!!

This beautiful female fed from the flowers of chives found in one our butterfly gardens. She stayed here for a long, long time. When I stopped watching her feed and started walking away, she'd fly over to wherever I was going! This happened several times to the point where I began to feel like she was stalking me!!! But, I don't mind. I love having them back here in Eau Claire!
--LKR

Tent Caterpillars

Isn't this lovely?
As a child, tent caterpillars were among one of my favorites. I found, and still find, this colorful, fuzzy, predominantly iridescent blue caterpillar irresistible!

Driving six hours across the state of Pennsylvania, one year, was an eerie sight. Many small, leafless, lifeless looking trees had several of the familiar silken tent structures hanging in them. In large numbers, tent caterpillars can defoliate small trees, but rarely kill them unless these have already been compromised in other ways like having been through a drought or repeated defoliation.

This year, I brought in two small nests taken off of our sand cherry tree to raise indoors. The larvae have been fed sucker shoots growing from the bottom of this tree, so it's no great loss. This tree was in no danger of being defoliated. I brought these caterpillars in for several reasons, one being to see how many actually make it to adulthood (the moth stage). Many may be parasitized since they've spent most of their larval lives in the wild.

I must stress that I do not ever release insects considered pests back out into the wild. Instead, I allow them to grow, mature, and reach adulthood to observe them, but destroy any eggs that are laid.
--LKR