Monarch (Danaus plexippus)

by Marilynbeth Dec 1, 2008 4:50 AM

Mating in early Fall in the Desert Botanical Garden Butterfly Pavillion

Monarch caterpillar readying to munch on another Butterfly Weed flower bud. (June 2007)

Wintering at Pismo Beach, California

3 1/2-4" Very Large!

Underside with wings spread

Monarch caterpillar munching on Butterfly Weed leaves

On its favorite plant!

Snacking on the 'Soulmate' Milkweed

Enjoying the Rangoon Creeper

So many flowers! Yum!

Monarch Butterfly Chrysalis - to me they look like tiny Christmas ornaments, green with lovely gold dots.

Monarch Butterfly on Torch Mexican Sunflower - one of their favorite nectar plants in my butterfly garden!

feeding on Narrow-leaved Milkweed

Monarch cocoon on my strawberry pot.

Several Monarch caterpillars munching on Milkweed.

Sampling a Chrysanthemum flower

Male Monarch butterfly in New South Wales, Australia, February 1983

Stopping by for some lantana nectar

'Baby' Monarch caterpillars on Butterfly Weed; munching on the flowers! These, are a lil shy of a half-inch long.

These lil guys have a ferocious appetite. They're nipping the flowers in the bud!

This chrysalis is about a week old. You can see the wings of the butterfly developing inside.

This chrysalis is almost ready to hatch. As the butterfly matures inside the green color of the chrysalis gradually fades.

Started out with 6 on Aug 19/06 & today there are well over 140 (I stopped trying to count) temporarily roosting on my Silver Maple

Dozens of these in Aug, 2006, feeding on zinnias

Monarch chrysalis

Two monarchs that I just released ...waiting for their first flight.

Monarch sipping from Stonecrop

Monarch

Monarch Butterfly that has just emerged from the Chrysalis. Note the Chrysalis next to the butterfly , which was green, just has the clear outter shell left.

The empty chrysalis of the Monarch caterpillar. September 2006

Monarch caterpillar 'devouring' a Butterfly Weed seed pod. September 2006

9-24-06 feeding on wild aster

Early Fall in the Desert Botanical Garden Butterfly Pavillion. Feeding on Bauhinia mexicana

monarchs loved my zinnias!

Monarch chrysalis in the evening before the butterfly emerges

Monarch emerges in the morning

Wings Begin to unfold

Wings stretch out a bit more

Wings are drying

Beautiful Monarch

Morning sunlight backlights a monarch (Danaus plexippus) butterfly nectaring on globe amaranth, gomphrena (Gomphrena globosa) flowers in the middle of November as the plants are starting to decline.

On my butterfly bush

Chowing on butterfly weed :)

Monarch Butterfly and its Chrysalis on an Agastache plant on August 20, 2006 at 10:44 am.

Caterpillar on Butterfly Weed leaf with frass (fecal matter) nearby .. (June 2007)

The chrysalids of this butterfly have been called "the glass house with the gold nails."

Interesting shot of a Monarch BF on a Hummingbird feeder of sugar water. August 12, 2007

Monarch Butterfly sipping on a 'Zowie' Zinnia. August 12, 2007

found this on the fence around my butterfly weed

transparent chrysalis

brand new butterfly

Being released, Less the 8 hours old.

Photo taken 1/22/08 in Spring, Texas. Plant is Mexican sage.

A monarch caterpillar saying hello to the world for the first time.

Monarch egg in my garden in Victoria, Australia, February 2008

Newly hatched Monarch caterpillar (2mm long) in my garden in Victoria, Australia, February 2008

Baby Monarch caterpillar (3.5mm long) in my garden in Victoria, Australia, February 2008

Monarch caterpillar (5mm long with tiny horns) (second instar?) in my garden in Victoria, Australia, February 2008

Monarch caterpillar in my garden in Victoria, Australia, February 2008

Monarch caterpillar (in pre-pupating posture) in my garden in Victoria, Australia, February 2008

Monarch pupa in my garden in Victoria, Australia, February 2008

Male Monarch butterfly near Adelaide in South Australia, on Christmas Day 2007

Monarch caterpillar changing into a pupa in my house in Victoria, Australia, February 2008

Monarch caterpillar changing into a pupa (after 1 minute) in my house in Victoria, Australia, February 2008

Monarch caterpillar changing into a pupa (after 2 minutes) in my house in Victoria, Australia, February 2008

Monarch caterpillar changing into a pupa (after 4 minutes) in my house in Victoria, Australia, February 2008

Monarch caterpillar changing into a pupa (after 6 minutes) in my house in Victoria, Australia, February 2008

Monarch caterpillar changing into a pupa (after 21 minutes) in my house in Victoria, Australia, February 2008

Monarch caterpillar changing into a pupa (after 28 minutes) in my house in Victoria, Australia, February 2008

Monarch caterpillar changing into a pupa (after 36 minutes) in my house in Victoria, Australia, February 2008

Monarch on Butterfly Bush

Eating themselves out of a food source here

Monarch Cocoon

Male Monarch eclosing in the early morning

Monarch on Dahlia

Fall 2008 ..A Monarch just emerging from it's chrysalis..note the enlarged abdomen.

we had a dinner guest

Males have black patches on hindwings, prominent when wings are open.

Females lack the black patch on their hind wings.

A light colored, or a faded female...

Wintering at Pismo Beach, California

Yummy, Butterfly weed berries.

in flight

fresh egg laid by a monarch that did it before my eyes

This Monarch was enjoying the nectar of a 'Tithonia Torch' Mexican Sunflower in our garden July 2008 in Lincoln, Nebraska...

Old Monarch

Here are two first instar caterpillars along side white long-grain rice.

Nectaring on our 'Petite Plum' Butterfly bush...Lincoln, Nebraska...July 30th, 2009.

four different sized caterpillars (smallest about 0.5 inches long and largest about 2 inches long)

Zone 7z Monarch caterpillar starting to curl 22-Sep-09

Zone7a Same Monarch Cat two days later has formed a chrysalis

Monarch on Agastache

Monarch on eastern purple coneflower in East Texas, Oct. 2009.

A monarch larva on Mexican milkweed.

A Monarch feeding on aloysia flowers.

An adult monarch on bahia grass.

This is the first year I have had Monarchs on my butterfly weed. I have been fortunate to see catepillars and chrysallis this year. Very cool.

Danaus plexippus - Monarch Butterfly

Caterpillar July zone 9B

Monarch caterpillars eating Milkweed July Zone 9b

Early Fall in the Desert Botanical Garden Butterfly Pavillion. Feeding on Bauhinia mexicana, October 4, 2006

Monarch on milkweed May 2011 zone 9b FL

Two Favorite Things-Tiger Lily and Monarch!

August in Florida

Monarch on butterfly bush here in NC, glowing like a piece of orange stained glass in the October 2011 sunlight.

Monarch chrysalis just before eclose.

Monarch newly emerged.

Danaus plexippus caterpillar with newly shed skin at the rear. About 2" (4.5 cm). Host plant Asclepias curassavica. Location Colima, Mexico

Danaus plexippus newly formed chrysalises. Colima, Mexico

Danaus plexippus mature chrysalis. The butterfly will emerge within a few minutes. Colima, Mexico

Female Danaus plexippus depositing single, white eggs on the underside of the Asclepias curassavice leaves. Colima, Mexico

Female Monarch Butterfly

Close up of a female Monarch Butterfly

Caterpillar stage of a Monarch Butterfly or danaus plexippus captured in April

I captured this lovely Monarch butterfly on my Robinia tree in March

A male Monarch butterfly showing characteristic black dots, poisonous to would be preditors

Sometimes a bit difficult to spot when they are overwintering, especially 40 ft overhead.

Danaus plexippus caterpillar

caterpillar feeding on milkweed

Butterfly on Buddleia

Brenda's Butterfly House. (Looks like someone is confused here)

Brenda's Butterfly House.

Monarch butterfly on native milkweed

one of our babies ready to emerge!

Very close to going into chrysalis. SW Houston TX March 20, 2015

Monarch Caterpillar - 08/11/14

Photo taken on September 9, 2015 in Wichita Kansas. Believe this had just emerged.

Some of the dozens of Monarch eggs that are still being laid on my Swan Plant - Waihi, NZ

A young caterpillar on my Swan Plant - Waihi, NZ

Growing caterpillars on my Swan Plant - Waihi, NZ

Resting after gorging - a day before going into a chrysalis - Waihi, NZ

The Chrysalis stage

Freshly emerged out of the Chrysalis

Hanging and drying out

First flight

Mating in late February - Waihi NZ

Photo courtesy of Ken Blackford. Copyright Ken Blackford. San Diego, Ca.

Notice all the ones with less showy reverse wings. The Natural Bridges State Beach Monarch Trail. Courtesy/copyright of of Ferd Bergholz of Scotts Valley, California.