Monarch

ToddsPoint · Sep 6, 2020

I tried to get a good pic of this Monarch but he wouldn't co-operate. Couldn't get him with his wings spread all the way. My wife's zinnia patch is a magnet for butterflies. Gary

glass half fool · Sep 6, 2020

Nice shots Butteries and zinnias are always a great combination .I plant a large amount of zinnias each year . They are easy to get started grow quickly and bloom for a long time. They are colorful and attach many different butterflies And to go with all that in the fall I pull the dried heads off and clean the seed from them and plant it the next year

tamrock · Sep 6, 2020

Those are good shots. They don't sit still very long and butterflies always seem to stop spreading their wings when you point a camera lens at them. Or at least to me they do.

ToddsPoint · Sep 7, 2020

glass half fool said:
Nice shots Butteries and zinnias are always a great combination .I plant a large amount of zinnias each year . They are easy to get started grow quickly and bloom for a long time. They are colorful and attach many different butterflies And to go with all that in the fall I pull the dried heads off and clean the seed from them and plant it the next year

We save the seeds each year too. We'll start dead heading these pretty soon. Gary

ANTIQUARIAN · Sep 11, 2020

Beautiful pics Gary. :icon_thumleft:

I remember when I was a kid, we always tried to catch them by grabbing them gently behind their wings.
I now know it wasn't a nice thing to do, but I was a stupid kid back then... who grew up to be a stupid adult.

“Life's hard. It's even harder when you're stupid.”
― John Wayne

No gold in NY · Sep 11, 2020

Consider yourself lucky to get close enough for a photo. I have been raising Monarchs. I collect the caterpillars wherever I can before predators get them or the chrysalis. So far this season I have released 9 Monarchs. 5 males and 3 females. One was undetermined.
I use a small stick to transfer them to the flowers outside. At that time they always open and hold their wings fully. Perhaps still drying them. Great photo op at that time.

glass half fool · Sep 15, 2020

No Gold That is very interesting information . How long does it take from the time you collect them as caterpillars until they hatch as butterflies Do you have any additional info An organization I do some volunteer work with is partenering with a group of 4th,5th and 6th grade students on a project involving wildflowers and pollinators . If we could get the kids into raising butterflies we could include sas part of our project Thanks

Professor of Engineering · Sep 16, 2020

Nice photo! :icon_thumleft:

Sadly, I've seen none around my house this season. Usually, I have many since my gardens attract them eavry year. :dontknow:

No gold in NY · Sep 17, 2020

glass half fool...
The process from egg to butterfly is weather dependent and also depends on the regional climate. It can take about four weeks in the peak of the summer in warmer climates. The egg takes 5 to 10 days, the larva/caterpillar and pupa/chrysalis each take about 10 to 14 days.
For me it depends on how big the caterpillar is when I find it. Sometimes they are only a quarter of an inch long and sometimes as big as my pinky finger. When they are big and fat, they attach to the top of the terrarium and hang upside down forming a J shape. The process from caterpillar to chrysalis is very interesting to watch. I have never witnessed the butterfly exit the chrysalis, but have seen the wings unfold and inflate. I think inflate is the correct term. The whole process is an amazing thing to see. And there are predators at each stage. So far this season I have released 14 and have 5 chrysalis, 3 J's, 1 looking for a spot to J, 4 caterpillars still feeding.