Monarch emerges

This morning at 9am, the monarch was still in the chrysalis. At 9:15, I looked over and saw this:








COOL! I was excited but also not sure what to do. Should I just put it outside and let it fly away when it was ready? Or should I keep it until the kids were home? What to do! I finally decided to keep it until the kids were home. I put it in one of the boys' bug box.

When everyone was home from camp we let it out. I had to reach in to get it out of the box.




I tried to take another picture of it on my finger but it flew away immediately. By the time I was able to snap the picture, this was all that was left.




Raising the Monarch was such a cool experience, I might try it again someday.

Almost a Monarch

Here is the Monarch yesterday morning.









Can you see the details of the butterfly in there?

Well, here it is today.









Amazing, isn't it? I have to get the kids up, make lunches, drive to carpool, pick up at swim team and drop off at vbs, then work.

All I want to do is sit and watch a butterfly emerge. I'm probably going to miss it. So sad.

Holy Chrysalis!

Wow, that caterpillar was fast. DH & B just got home from swim team practice. B wanted to show DH the caterpillar hanging in the container, but you couldn't see it. Less than two hours after we found the caterpillar in the "J", it formed the chrysalis.  I didn't even get to watch!






Next time we do this, I'm using a clear container.  The gladware doesn't make the best pictures.

Monarch hanging

The boys and I were very excited to find the caterpillar hanging like a "J" this morning. We're now on chrysalis formation watch.






I tried to show A, she wasn't thrilled.  Too bug like for her I guess.

Almost grown monarch

I think it is up to the 5th instar now.  It is eating a ton.  It used to eat a bit of a leaf during the day.  It ate 5-6 leaves last night and is munching away on more right now.

Monarch 3rd Instar

The caterpillar keeps eating and growing. This morning it was bigger and sporting longer antennae.

More monarch

The monarch caterpillar is growing nicely.  It is sporting cute black antennae now.







This morning it was on the lid of the glad container.  I got it to move onto fresh leaves and cleaned out the container again.  It seems happy again, eating big holes in the new leaf.

Monarch Update

Some time this morning, the monarch went from the first instar to the second instar.  The pictures a little blurry but you can see the changes.  It was about 2-3mm yesterday and it's about 5-6 mm today, plus it has stripes.

Baby Monarch!

I love watching caterpillars turn into moths & butterflies.  We've been lucky to have a black swallowtail and polyphemus moth transform for us.

After watching the monarch on the milkweed last week, I decided to check the plants for eggs. Yesterday I found one. I did some quick google research on raising monarchs and decided to try.

I plucked the leaf with the egg on it yesterday. It was completely white. This morning it had a black spot, so I knew it was close to hatching.











I was sitting at my computer contemplating working when I looked down to see the caterpillar coming out of the egg.  Oh, so exciting!!!!







It is happily eating away at the egg sac now. I don't know if I'm going to be able to work today. I may be caterpillar watching instead.