Posts Tagged: butterflies
Welcome to the World of Monarchs, Greta!
Welcome to the world of monarchs, Greta! We don't normally name the monarch butterflies we rear,...
This monarch caterpillar was reared from an egg collected on a tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica, in a Vacaville pollinator garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The newly eclosed monarch caterpillar named "Greta" latches onto a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundiflora. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Greta, a monarch butterfly reared from an egg, is anxious to get where she's going. And fast. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Monarch butterflies start out as a near microscopic egg. This image was taken with a Canon MPE-65mm lens. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
After hatching from egg to larva (caterpillar), it eats its shell and then begins munching on milkweed. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The monarch caterpillar munches milkweed; it will go through five instars. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The jade-green monarch chrysalis is one of nature's jewels. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The Joy of Rearing Monarchs
The monarch butterfly egg is oh-so-very-tiny but what an incredible work of nature! The...
This is a close-up of a monarch egg, taken with a Canon MPE-65mm lens. It is about the size of a pinhead. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Three monarch eggs, one on each milkweed leaf (tropical milkweed Asclepias curassavica). (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
This is the small container that the Garvey family uses to rear monarch eggs. It is about 2 inches wide. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Be aware that if you collect a monarch caterpillar or chrysalis, it may already be parasitized. It is better to start with the egg, says Bohart Museum of Entomology associate Greg Kareofelas. Note the tachinid-infested chrysalis (brown spot). This image, taken in July 2020, shows two chrysalids and three newly eclosed monarchs. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
This is part of the Greg Kareofelas setup to rear butterflies. He rears many species. Note the packing foam and chrysalis (not a monarch). (Photo by Greg Kareofelas)
A Monarch Paradise in July
Monarchs, bless their little hearts, souls and wings, deposited 16 eggs on our milkweed plants in...
A monarch caterpillar molting. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A monarch caterpillar j'ing; soon it will be a chrysalis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
From left, a chrysalis about to release a monarch; an empty chrysalis or empty pupal exoskeleton, exuvia; a chrysalis; and an newly eclosed adult monarch. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A newly eclosed female monarch on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A female monarch nectaring on a tropical milkweed. This milkweed yielded five caterpillars. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Ready for the Virtual Moth Open House at the Bohart Museum of Entomology?
There will be no hot chocolate. There will be no cookies. But not to worry--there...
You will learn about amazing moths at the Bohart Museum of Entomology's Virtual Moth Open House from 1 to 2 p.m., Saturday, July 25. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
At previous Moth Nights, "Moth Man" John DeBenedictis of Davis helped coordinate the blacklighting display at the Bohart Museum of Entomology. Here he chats with visitors. Blacklighting will be one of the topics at the Bohart Museum's Virtual Moth Open House on July 25. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Entomologist Jeff Smith curates the Lepidoptera collection at the Bohart Museum of Entomology and will be featured at its Virtual Moth Open House on July 25. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Seen Any Western Monarchs Lately?
Seen any Western monarch butterflies yet this year? No? Butterfly guru Art Shapiro,...
A monarch foraging on Mexican sunflower (Tithonia) in the late summer in Vacaville, Calif. Question is: where was this monarch in the early spring? (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)