Monarch Egg Hatching

I've watched caterpillars hatching, before, and wanted to share what someone else put together. It's a quicky--don't blink! --LKR

In The Presence of Monarchs

Around 1pm, today, I went out in search of Monarch eggs. Sometimes it's easier to spot the first egg or larva before ever seeing an adult flying around. Well, did I ever find an egg, then another..., and another. Once back home, I counted 48, repeat, 48 Monarch eggs!!!

A few looked like they will be hatching in a day or two. Soooo, the eggs were divvied up among four baby wipe boxes that were placed into gallon-sized baggies for a little humidity. A tiny bit of humidity is needed so they don't dry up and die. Soon after these hatch, they will be split up into smaller groups.

Later on this afternoon, I spotted my first adult Monarch flying furiously through our yard on a very breezy day! It's so good to have them back!!! --LKR

Butterflies! Butterflies! Everywhere!!!

Well, I spoke too soon, yesterday. This morning, after releasing two more male Monarchs and one female, an early afternoon walk with my neighbor turned up four first instar Monarch cats and one egg! For sure, before we get any more rain, I need to hit the fields and collect more Monarchs!

A bonus: On a hot humid day, the butterflies like to come out to dance in the sky and nectar at flowers. And while we watched, an American Painted Lady began laying eggs on some everlasting, so we'll have another species to raise, this summer! --LKR

First Monarch Released!

What a thrill! Our first Monarch, a male, emerged from it's pupa, this morning! He was very eager to get out and experience his freedom of flight! So, off he went into the wild blue yonder!

We have 38 more Monarchs in the pupae stage, with a couple others still in the 5th instar. I have not been able to find any more Monarch eggs or caterpillars in the wild. Not sure if it's because of all the rain we've been having that's knocked them off of leaves, predators that have eaten or carried them off, because we're seeing the effects of the worst recorded deaths of overwintering Monarchs in Mexico from this past winter, or all of the above. We've personally had more Monarchs in different stages, this time of year. --LKR

Pereserverance Pays Off!

Yesterday, I made it a point to seek out and rescue Monarch eggs and cats before the expected rains. One open field I normally find them in had turned up dozens of eaten eggs by an abundance of lacewings in that location. Unwilling to allow this to discourage my efforts, I headed off to the woods with my trusty pooch. After two hours of searching, we returned home with 33 eggs and four 1st and 2nd instar cats. Not bad!!!Often, once buds appear on milkweed plants, female Monarchs will lay their eggs on these. Ditto once pods begin to form. Both provide larvae with plenty of food for their ravenous appetites. One difficulty with the pods and buds is that very young cats are difficult to find! --LKR

Monarch Eggs Are Not On Today's Menu...

Monarch eggs on milkweed leaves

Today, I spotted at least four beautiful green lacewings. They are very beneficial insects that normally eat aphids, and regrettably, butterfly and moth eggs, too. Fortunately, I found these eggs before they did! --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

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

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

Wooly Bears!!!

Wooly Bear caterpillars are known as Isabella Tiger moths once they emerge from their chysalis and are winged creatures. Wooly Bears, frequently found crossing roads in the fall, are the adored fuzzy black, reddish brown black striped caterpillars that children of all ages love to find.

Today, my hubby was kind enough to stop the car so I could rescue two out of three I saw crossing the road. Unfortunately, the third one met its destiny on his quest to reach the other side of the road... .

As a life-long observer and seeker, I've only found one tiny one in my entire life. He was nibbling on a stinging nettle leaf as I was looking for Red Admiral butterfly eggs. Dandelion and plantain leaves are also a Wooly Bear's host plants.

It was really fun watching him grow! Unfortunately, like every other Tiger Moth caterpillar (there are lots of species of them) I've ever brought in to observe, I was rewarded with a big, ugly parasitic wasp. When you're anxiously awaiting the emergence of your winged beauty and are greeted with something as ugly as this, it's a great disappointment! --LKR