What's new
TerraForums Venus Flytrap, Nepenthes, Drosera and more talk

Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

Soon to be Monarch Butterfly :)

Trapper7

Loves VFT's!
I found this caterpillar on one of my bushes and I thought I'd keep him so I can see how it'll turn into a butterfly. It made it's chrysalis either last night or this morning. So in 12-14 days, I'll have a Monarch :-D

Here is the caterpillar

new-3.jpg


And here is what he is now


PENTAX1245.jpg


It decided to make it's chrysalis on the lid of the container I have it in, instead of the twigs I put in there for it.

I'd like to watch it emerge from the chrysalis, but knowing my luck, I'll miss it.
 
That's cool. Honestly, I couldn't stand having one of those in my house, but pictures are still cool too look at.
 
very nice. its actually not a monarch but a closely related species called the queen (Danaus gilippus). I cant wait to find some monachs to raise where I live (we have no queens here)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_(butterfly)
 
Wow this brings back memories...When I was around six I watched hundreds of Monarch's "grow up", your lucky though I never got to see a Queen caterpillar.

btw The chrysalis will turn almost completely black before the butterfly emerges.
 
be sure to check on it everyday!
 
We've got tons of the true Monarchs here in MN. I hear the Monarchs eat Milkweed plants and there's more than enough of that here.
 
Finch, thanks for telling me that it wasn't a Monarch. When I was looking at caterpillar pictures, it resembled a Monarch, but not exactly, but I didn't see the Queen one. This one will come out of it's chrysalis in 7-10, instead of 12-14. Good thing you told me what it was, because I was going to start watching it in 12 days and I would have missed it! Geckoman, yeah I saw that in a picture and I'm glad I did, otherwise I would have thought it was dead or something. I'm going to try to film it emerging, or at least take pics if I can. I'll update this thread when that happens :)
 
soon i need to check our milkweed we put in to attract the caterpillars... but when the butterfly bush blooms itll work
 
Queen butterflies are also called Viceroys. i think youll find the second name easier :) very cool! i only once took in a ceterpillar. it was a big fat Polyphemus moth caterpillar. and it came out of its cocoon almost a month and a half later. wow was that a sight!
Alex
 
  • #10
Back when I was working in Oxnard, CA the migration streams would pass through. When they did the rats in the brush near work would go nuts. For the first few days you would see the rats leaping in the air, out of trees and bushes to snag the butterflies to eat.

I thought monarchs were supposed to be poisonous or at least unpalatable? Maybe they were viceroys or perhaps that's why the rats stopped their feeding frenzy after a few days.
 
  • #11
You used to work in Oxnard? I would go there twice a year for several years because I had family there, up until 2 years ago. My friends (in high school) would always make fun of me for going to Oxnard, they would make fun of the name ;)

Anyway. I found two more caterpillars, but I can't ID these ones either. I thought they may be Black Swallowtail's, but it doesn't seem to match it exactly. Anyone have any ideas on these ones? They were not on my milkweed plant this time, they were on some herbs I have, but I don't know what kind of herbs. Maybe these are going to be moths?


new4-2.jpg


new5-2.jpg
 
  • #12
I just noticed that they have this orange antenna thing that comes out when you mess with them! It's really weird looking and they can pull it all the way into their head where you don't see it.
 
  • #13
queens and Viceroys are not the same. Viceroys are nonpoisonus and feed on willow, and the caterpillar is camouflaged. Queen is a close relative to the monarch and is poisonous also, because it also feeds on milkweed.

The orange antenna things are defiantly a swallowtail characteristic. Did you find the caterpillar on a member of the carrot family? (dill, fennel, parsly?)
 
  • #14
Finch, it looks a lot like parsly but it's not. So I guess yes. I also read about swallowtail's and that they have that orange antenna, but the body doesn't look the same as a swallowtail's.

Edit: I just looked at more pictures of Swallowtail's and I think that is what I have. I was looking at young ones, but the ones I have are older I guess, so they have more green on them.
 
Last edited:
  • #15
It turned black! Any time now I'll have a butterfly emerge :-D

PENTAX1132.jpg
 
  • #16
I MISSED IT! :( I just HAD to go exercise! I guess I thought it will be black for a whole day before it emerges...I was wrong, lol. Anyway, he/she is very pretty and is drying it's wings now :)

new7.jpg
 
  • #17
Beautiful! That will teach you to exercise.

xvart.
 
  • #18
I know! Like my health was more important than this! I won't let it happen again, that's for sure! ;)
 
Back
Top