I had the itty bittiest cocoon I’ve ever had and was worried she was sick. Turns out she’s just really tiny! She hatched today and her wings are only about an inch and a bit long each. She’s not 100% dry yet but I will release her later today while it’s sunny but not as blistering hot as it is right now.

I’ve had probably 40 so far this summer (some with my help, some with Mother Nature)

This little guy is on a big fat juicy zebra tomato. I came back shortly after this pic and he’s a crystalis already.
Should I move him or leave him alone?

I got to watch the one on the left first and then recognized that the one in the middle was getting ready to do same so I set up my phone to catch this! There’s actually another one in the back going at the same time too you can kinda see the movement between the leaves. Very exciting, it’s my first time doing this!

I have two though that made their cocoon on the underside of leaves as opposed to the top of the enclosure. I still have small caterpillars eating leaves and am concerned about them eating the leaves of the chrysalis? Is there something I should do? should I move the chrysalis?

Thank you for any advice 🐛🦋💛

Had my first monarch of the year come by yesterday and left 2 eggs! I’m in north DFW Texas.

I'm getting really worried, it's been a little over a week for the chrysalis on the mesh container that's turning darker and around 4 days for the chrysalis on the plant that's got some brown, they are both monarch caterpillars and they were doing so well, is it because it's to humid? i really hope i didn't fail them 😔

The coloring looks off.

Planted some milkweed to attract monarch caterpillars (to great success so far. I’ve had like 5 caterpillars this summer unfortunately birds ate a few but circle of life and all that) I was wondering though if this plant looks like it’s beyond saving as the caterpillars have absolutely devastated it

Is this chrysalis viable? It looks off, with brown spotting and a hole in the center.

No where on the internet can you read about advancing Monarch cultivation technique. I am on grandchildren going on great. People think you cannot get a released Monarch to lay eggs on your plants. Of course you can. I have done multiple generations since May. My goal is to keep a chain going for 2 years nonstop here in Florida. OE and ants farming aphids are the two biggest challenges. The ants farm aphids on my plants and eat ALL the caterpillars before 3rd instar.

Almost all my eggs come from butterflies I release. I raise them inside. I move potted plants with eggs into an ant free environment inside. Then keep the cats separated 5-7 max to cut down on OE spread. There is a huge egg influx the first 2 weeks after release. I collect those and any 1st and 2nd instars I see.

I am preparing for winter. When the ants go seasonally away I expect to get a mass eat out of my inground plants. It will be hundreds at once if they eat all my inground plants. This will be done through releasing egg layers. I will be growing what I call Florida Tall Poppies (tithonia torches) in pots for winter nectar. They will get frosted and killed outside and I want to have a nectar source in winter. Wish me luck I havnt heard of anyone else doing this. They probably do but dont put it on the internet or I cant find it

She's beautiful and while I worried she was the cause of the parasites, turns out she was beautiful and I think healthy. She looks healthy. But she was hopping around ready to go and I let her go earlier today! She got on my hand eventually and I got her out of the enclosure and she went flying off :) clear up into the sky and off past our oak tree so I have a lot of hope.

In an insane twist, the one that I dropped might have been the culprit! He's covered in spots today all over and definitely dead now. I put the original isolated one into a tent just in case Vivace makes it, but I've given up on my egg Mezzo. Coda, the smallest of my newer two egg clutch is like.... Gone? IDK what happened he's literally gone. Crescendo is doing great. They were the same size almost. I am confused. I saw some spider corpses in a corner of their enclosure. I'm wondering if one got in and ate him? Really confused. But crescendo is doing amazing and I'm stoked.

No feeling like the feeling of my first release. She was so PRETTY!

Edit: phone corrected eclose to enclose darnit

Quiero criar mariposas por primera vez! Que compro de starter pack? Que me aconsejan??
Balcon piso 10 mirando al norte, sol todo el dia. sin viento ni árboles cerca

For some reason one of my caterpillars decided to hang from a half eaten milkweed leaf on a clipped stalk. I had flamed the stalk so it will last a bit but I don’t think long enough for him to emerge. I also have an eating caterpillar who is on the smaller side. Should I move the chrysalis once it forms and hardens?

This guy climbed up onto the siding above our milkweed plant and dropped into its j shape today. We usually have around 30-50 caterpillars on our plants this time of year, and always bring a few inside, but we very rarely are able to spot the chrysalises outside, so I was super excited! But I feel like his j shape is a little less... curled up? than the ones we've raised inside. Does it look okay/normal? Am i overthinking? Anything I should do to protect it, since it is a bit exposed on the side of our house? Any insights or advice appreciated!

This is my first caterpillar, day 15. This morning I believed he was molting. But now early evening, I don’t think he looks well. Is this the worse case scenario I feared? Or does he just have thicker black stripes? Including pictures from earlier in the cycle.

I didn't realize how I could be so amused just by watching them eat, but they really are so goober looking and silly some times. Like in Pic 1 the way it hangs 😂 Pic 2 the little ham was in resting position like that. Share some photos if you have any!

First female emerged today, and she’s quite small compared to the males. In northern Ontario it’s getting colder (around 10c at night) which made me think this one jumped to J a bit too soon?

Otherwise she seems healthy! She’s outside in some cover as we’re between storms but tomorrow morning looks good for a release. Let’s wish her luck on her big flight south.

Emerged this morning… I think they must be siblings. They will be set for release tomorrow morning.

First time raising caterpillars. Can someone advise what happened to this chrysalis? The other ones are fine.

Thank you so much!

Again, please, please check and check over and over again. Use a magnifying glass if you are checking milkweed leaves for newly hatched eggs, they are almost microscopic in size and u could easily miss them when you toss the leaves in the trash. I take my thoroughly checked leaves and place them in the milkweed patch incase I did miss one. That way instead of the baby dieing in the trash can, he has a chance to live by finding the milkweed. Check both sides of the leaf and in any curls