did you forget the egg pix?

congrats on the cat ... from its brood i would expect them to all be that size ... not like some hatched and some are waiting ... so the question would be.. did another come along later ... but then i wonder.. if they would have enough time to hatch and mature before it gets too cold out there ... for them to mature and take off for wherever they winter over ...

compare here .. but also show us yours

:https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffsb&q=monarch+eggs&iax=images&ia=images

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=monarch+caterpillar&t=ffsb&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images

i was always fascinated by the gold line

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=monarch+chrysalis&t=ffsb&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images

ken

Good morning, Ken!

I don't have the best eyes and grass was full of dew. These are just plants from last year and not really big. I got this pic and it's not the greatest. Thanks to your links, I'm pretty sure they're eggs. (There are on different stalks) I hope they have time to develop. I'm in St Louis, MO area, so they say the timeline is right. I guess I'll find out. I'm going to monitor every day and take pics, just for the fun of it and to learn more. Thank you for the links, Ken!

Awww... I was expecting photos of a cute little kitty, lol. Wrong cat, I guess haha! But congrats anyway!

:)

Dee

Even though it's only, I'm so excited, Dee! There are more eggs here and there, but I wonder if it'll be too late for them like Ken said. I did get to see a male and female mating, but of course, didn't have my camera outside at the time!

@gawdinfever Z6 this is last year on 9/4 and 9/18 in Chicago so I am sure you will have luck too.

In any event, cold readily would be mitigated; homes are insulated, and many are heated. :-)

And here I thought from the title you got a barn cat or something LOL!

So encouraging to see those monarch caterpillars! I've seen only a couple really small ones -- man those things can book it up a stem when they need to LOL! I have seen adults and swallowtails flitting around, so I would think the offsrping are out there somewhere. But the mosquitos are so bad this year I have no desire to go out there looking.

lol

Sorry to disappoint! I never catch them moving. I did go out yesterday morning to check on the caterpillar and couldn't find it at first. It had moved to newly planted cutting. I thought something had gotten it at first! Doesn't seem to eat a lot yet, though. I planted dill for swallowtails, I've not seen any signs of eggs or their caterpillars, yet though. Plenty of butterflies. The mosquitos ARE bad this year! Geesh! I cover myself in repellent before I go out, but one got me on the back of neck in my hair, even! Buggers!

Well, it appears I did have two! One is a pupa now!

Got to see him in the last half! We were going to take down the old chicken pen, but it stays for now, since that's the spot he chose!

Good excuse, as long as you do not tell anyone that it is easy to relocate the pupa after it has firmed for a day.

Congrats! Nothing here for me yet but I will stay hopeful for a few more weeks Please keep this thread going to keep us updated on the progress there.

I'm in the club! I found three little guys in my personal garden yesterday. There have been two rounds of cats so far at the library garden (I tend this garden as a volunteer) which the librarian has nicely chronicled on her library page. Patrons are stopping by to check on the library monarchs which is neat and I hope it inspires them to plant milkweed at home. Now I can stop feeling jealous because I have cats at home also ;)

FUN! I've a bunch this year too. Also found at least 13 Black Swallowtail caterpillars on my little plot of parsley.

The pen project wasn't anything that 'had' to be done. I would just as soon not disturb it. It's too hot to be doing much physical work outdoors anyway.

I hope we ALL get some! I go out every chance to check on them. I hope no predators get them! I have a lot of swallowtails and even planted dill for them. No eggs yet, that I can see. I had two or tree monarchs in my yard at one time yesterday. Seems like it takes them forever to get here, and then they're gone within a few weeks. 10-12 years ago, there were many. Not so much now. I took a few pics yesterday.

I hope we all wind up with them! Parsley? I didn't know that was a thing. I have so much to learn! My plants are spread out now, but I took a bunch of cuttings. Hopefully have more to build on this. I'm incorporating more to draw them, both for nectar and for food for them. I just love butterflies! I started adding pics, but Houzz just ignored me! lol

I think I got both a male and a female monarchs in the pictures.

Gorgeous pics! It is such a happy sight to see them flitting around, and it gives me great joy to know I have plants that provide for them. :0)

Thank you, mxk3! Me too! I didn't mean to post pics twice, but you know Houzz! lol

I found two more itty bitty caterpillars yesterday! I was taking cuttings, because I thought it was late enough in season that they were done. Learning as I go!

I found them on the cuttings as I was sticking them. I very gently scooped them up with a leaf and put them back on plants and they went back to munching! I have a about 48 cuttings started, so hopefully I'll get something to add for them. I had one rooted and already planted it.

I'm going to order some more butterfly plants. I'm trying to make the whole side of my yard a butterfly garden of sorts. I'm am so getting into this!

This sounds like a wonderful thing to do. I would love to have more growing room for more flowers and natives. I have plenty of bees here but the butterflies are too few. I checked my milkweed and so far I have no caterpillars. :-( Last year I did have them so I will consider that a gift to have watched them develop. Good luck to you!

Thank you, Patti! Maybe you will, yet. I went out tonight looking for them, but didn't see them. My eyesight isn't great, so it may be that. Starting to get dark.

I just have to find the time and energy to dig up all the Bermuda grass! I hate that stuff!

If I could, I'd buy a piece of equipment to dig it all up. Besides; it would be fun! lol

I can dream!

In the future, you may consider using a butterfly tent to house them from their young cat stage. This will eliminate the potential for parasitic infestation that kills the monarch, sometimes as it assumes it's "J" shape or as a chrysalis.

I few summers ago, I released 24 monarch butterflies from my butterfly cage and the ones that I missed, all ended up parasitized and dead. My friend didn't bring in any this year and over 80% of them died. I only bring in the young ones, if I spot them when they're much older, I just leave them to avoid bringing in a potentially infected older cat with younger uninfected cats.

Read up on it! It's an incredible experience.

Thank you, Anna

I got some videos this morning! Not great or perfect, so please don't judge harshly!

I just wanted to share the excitement of my newest experience!

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Sn9pWr8-9mOLPVmz0nIL8BM_FuaYQp5Q?usp=sharing