MY BUTTERFLY NEWS

HERE COME THE BUTTERFLIES

31/12/2022

Dated according to when they formed their chrysalis

I wasn't planning to take on any Monarchs this season, however they kind-of invited themselves in and so here were go again.

After seeing an Ant trying really hard to wrench a Monarch egg from a leaf, in order to take it back to the nest to feed its young, I picked off as many eggs as I could and brought them indoors to safety.

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TEENY MONARCH CATERPILLARS EMERGING WELL

24/12/2022

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Our Monarch season is going very well. We have perfect weather and there don't seem quite as many wasps around as in previous seasons at this time.

This video and photos show one of the caterpillars just out of its egg today. It then turns around and eats the shell of the egg - it's first (and a most important) nourishment.

They are so so tiny and beautiful little miracles.

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EVERY HATCHING CATERPILLAR A MIRACLE

22/12/2022

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This tiny Monarch Caterpillar miracle hatched out of its egg last evening. Every time one of these little caterpillars emerges, I find the miracle of how something that tiny can manage to grow perfectly within an egg no more than 1mm long, to be amazing. I never stop being amazed.

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MONARCH CATERPILLARS COMING ALONG WELL

18/12/2022

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Look at this one - just slipped out of it's skin and left it behind like a perfect tiny clone shape of itself. It soon ate the skin, after I had taken the photo.

Our Monarch caterpillars are coming along well. In my area, at this early part of the season, the milkweed plants (in New Zealand we have Swan Plants - Ascelpias physocarpa) are healthy. So far there are not too many Aphids around to damage the plants, so they're in good condition for the Monarchs.

We have some great nectar flowers in bloom right now, so it's wonderful to see "our" three local Monarch butterflies flitting around the garden each day. They twist and turn around the garden, enjoying the flowers. The females lay eggs on the Swan Plants as they go. It's fun to see how Monarch butterflies chase Sparrows - something I didn't know they did until I saw it for myself.

Click on each picture below to see closer.......................

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IT'S MONARCH BUTTERFLY TIME OF YEAR IN NZ

10/12/2022

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Monarch male enjoying Verbena nectar

We are entering our 2022-23 Monarch season in New Zealand and I'm seeing a number of Monarch butterflies flying in our garden - more than in previous years at this time.
They're especially enjoying the nectar from the Verbena flowers, which is the whole reason why I have them growing.

My best surprise, yesterday, was finding this Monarch caterpillar on a Swan Plant. At about 20mm long I was delighted to see it had already grown to this size without being eaten by ants or wasps - plus I found 4 other teeny caterpillars on the plant.

We're seeing quite a few Asian Paper Wasps too and I feel the caterpillars need a chance, so now they're all safely tucked inside the caterpillar castle, in our house out of harms way, where they can grow to emerge as butterflies. 🦋

Monarch caterpillar 20mm long

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HERE COME THE BUTTERFLIES

TEENY MONARCH CATERPILLARS EMERGING WELL

EVERY HATCHING CATERPILLAR A MIRACLE

MONARCH CATERPILLARS COMING ALONG WELL

IT'S MONARCH BUTTERFLY TIME OF YEAR IN NZ

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