Tagging Monarch Butterflys

[VanGone]

These pictures are from last years tagging event.Thanks for looking!This first picture is the caterpillar stage.
VanGone

 

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[VanGone]

This is one being tagged .

 

[Don in SJ]

Nice shots and I have seen tagging done a few years back at Cape May Point State Park, NJ, very interesting.........

Don

 

[VanGone]

In this one you can see the small dots on the wings that tell the sex. As I said before, I cant remember for sure,but think the ones with dots are males.
VanGone

 

[Don in SJ]

I cheated and Googled "Monarch Butterflies" and yes, one with the black spot on each wing is a Male, no spots is female. Your photograph shows a Male with the black spot on each wing.

http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/lepidopt/danaidae/monarchm.htm

Don

 

[packerbacker]

Can't wait 'til I see my next one so I can show off my newly found knowledge. Heck, they're easier to sex than a lot of people around here. Thanks for posting.

 

[Cynangyl]

Can't wait 'til I see my next one so I can show off my newly found knowledge. Heck, they're easier to sex than a lot of people around here. Thanks for posting.

rofl

amazing photos! thanks for sharing!

 

[bill gent]

You mean they dont ear tag them? LOL

 

[E59]

Because you tag them I assume you know something about them. They were special to my mother and we like to hatch from their chrysalis but this year something is eating my caterpillars from the inside out and many of the chrysalis too. We grow the milkweed plants in our rock garden just outside our door and look at them every day. The only bugs I see that might be dangerous are ants and aphids. Do you know what could be doing this? Because we've had hundreds of caterpillars and I've only seen one hatch I'm really angry about the mean munchers. If anyone could help I would really appreciate it! Oh, and thanks for the info about the sex, I wish I would have looked at our fledgling before it left.

 

[VanGone]

I cheated and Googled "Monarch Butterflies" and yes, one with the black spot on each wing is a Male, no spots is female. Your photograph shows a Male with the black spot on each wing.

http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/lepidopt/danaidae/monarchm.htm

Don

Thanks for refreshing my memory Don..Not something everyone would care to know,but interesting none the less.
VanGone

 

[VanGone]

Because you tag them I assume you know something about them. They were special to my mother and we like to hatch from their chrysalis but this year something is eating my caterpillars from the inside out and many of the chrysalis too. We grow the milkweed plants in our rock garden just outside our door and look at them every day. The only bugs I see that might be dangerous are ants and aphids. Do you know what could be doing this? Because we've had hundreds of caterpillars and I've only seen one hatch I'm really angry about the mean munchers. If anyone could help I would really appreciate it! Oh, and thanks for the info about the sex, I wish I would have looked at our fledgling before it left.

I'm no expert Sara77,just someone who thinks that they are a really beautiful thing Nature has created.Milkweed plays an important part in there life cycle,but I have no idea what is doing the damage in your area.They are going to band again for this year on the 31st of this month and I will ask that question to people that do know,or should know.If I get an answer I will post it on here.

 

[E59]

Thank you vangone, please do reply when you've found out. If they weren't being eaten we'd have so many butterflies it would look like the garden at the zoo. I would love to see all my little wormies live! Sara

 

[Gypsy Heart]

Because you tag them I assume you know something about them. They were special to my mother and we like to hatch from their chrysalis but this year something is eating my caterpillars from the inside out and many of the chrysalis too. We grow the milkweed plants in our rock garden just outside our door and look at them every day. The only bugs I see that might be dangerous are ants and aphids. Do you know what could be doing this? Because we've had hundreds of caterpillars and I've only seen one hatch I'm really angry about the mean munchers. If anyone could help I would really appreciate it! Oh, and thanks for the info about the sex, I wish I would have looked at our fledgling before it left.

Apparently, an introduced tachinid fly, Lespesia archippivora, was brought over to control cutworms, but attacks non-target species like monarchs as well.

 

[Don in SJ]

Because you tag them I assume you know something about them. They were special to my mother and we like to hatch from their chrysalis but this year something is eating my caterpillars from the inside out and many of the chrysalis too. We grow the milkweed plants in our rock garden just outside our door and look at them every day. The only bugs I see that might be dangerous are ants and aphids. Do you know what could be doing this? Because we've had hundreds of caterpillars and I've only seen one hatch I'm really angry about the mean munchers. If anyone could help I would really appreciate it! Oh, and thanks for the info about the sex, I wish I would have looked at our fledgling before it left.

Sara, earlier this summer I posted photos of Swallowtail Butteryfly caterpillars on my Rue bushes in the backyard. Well, they started to disappear one by one, finally none were left. Then a few weeks later we noticed new ones had hatched and we started to watch their progress when I noticed we had an abnormally high amount of Daddy-Long-Leg spiders nearby on the foundation of the house.
I watched carefully the next few days and sure enough the spiders were going into the Rue bush and I assume it was them that wiped out the caterpillars. I now am eliminating all of them I see in hopes another batch of caterpillars hatch and have a chance to reach maturity, like they did in all the previous years.

Don

 

[alwayslookin]

What are you supposed to do if you find a tagged one?? Is it like a fishing tournament...if you get a tagged one you get a prize?

Dave

 

[VanGone]

No prize or recognition. They just hope someone will find the Butterfly and report the number. They keep a national data base on the tagged ones. Don't quote me on any of this. Ive only been to one tagging a year ago.
VanGone

 

[E59]

I don't see an overabundance of daddy-longlegs but I will eliminate what I do see. One odd little bug we have this year that may also be a culprit are these little bees that don't sting. There are hordes of them. As I said earlier there are also aphids and small ants on the milkweeds. I think next year I'm just going to smash anything I see near them.