Topic: Monarch caterpillars

[Patty]

This is the best time of year for monarchs, in our garden. They're laying like crazy.

Here is a fourth or fifth instar from the milkweed out back:



And making a "J" as it prepares to pupate.



I'll add pics of the pupae and blessed event (the eclosure  :) ) as they occur.

[Patty]

OK, so HTML didn't work.

How do I insert pictures?

[Orstio]

HTML is a security concern. You'll have to use BBC code instead of HTML.  You can auto-insert the code for an image by clicking the button just below the italics button on the posting screen.

[Patty]

Thanks, Orstio.

fourth instar:



hanging J:



More to come ina few days.

[Patty]

The caterpillar has pupated:



... You can tell this is a young pupa because the yellow dots near the bottom, and the yellow band above the black band near the top are not crisp and shiny gold.

Note also the white silk used to attach to the stem (above the black stem-looking bit.) Many (if not all) caterpillars are capable of making silk. Many do not make cocoons out of their silk, but they do use the silk for attachment purposes.

[Astronuc]

COOOOOLLLLL!!!!!  Absolutely stunning.  :1thumbup   ;D   8)

Isn't nature grand!  :elkgrin.gif:

 :koala

[Patty]

Yes, it is.

Our Anise Swallowtail is trying to attach to something now, in order to pupate. Silk is coming out of each pseudopod (never seen that before.)  It started attaching to the side of the jar that I moved it into this morning --- And I didn't want it stuck in the jar after it ecloses. So I tried to coax it onto a stick. I hope it has enough silk-making machinery/resources to attach to the stick.

[Astronuc]

Cool!  We have a swallowtail thread as well.  ;D

And I we have a general butterfly (Butterflies) thread as well.   :D

Perhaps we need to include moths as well, or perhaps a separate moth thread.

And maybe a spider thread, and . . . .

 :koala