| Stage Typical Duration | Egg stage Generally 4 to 6 days | Caterpillar (larval) stage 2 to 3 weeks | Chrysalis (pupal) stage 5 to 15 days | Adult butterfly stage 2 to 5 weeks for the summer generations, but the over-wintering generation in Mexico can live several months |
|---|
How long do monarch butterflies stay in one place?
No, they don’t. Adult monarchs live for anywhere from
2 to 6 weeks
, and females lay eggs and males mate throughout most of this period. (Assuming that they aren’t in the generation that migrates.)
How long do monarch butterflies live after hatching?
These butterflies are born in the northern US after the generation from the previous year has woken up and migrated back north. These monarchs lay eggs in the springtime and are likely to live an average of
2-5 weeks
. The next generation is born, and the cycle continues.
Where do monarch caterpillars go at night?
Monarch butterflies are diurnal, which means they are active during the day. They need a body temperature of 84 degrees to be able to fly, and the sun also helps them find their way. At night, butterflies find a place to roost in
trees or shrubs
.
What if monarch caterpillars run out of milkweed?
Running out of milkweed leaves this time of year is NORMAL. This is natures way of insuring fresh leaves for the next generation. This is the most important generation as it will migrate to Mexico.
You WILL have some caterpillars that will turn to chrysalis
.
How do you tell a male monarch butterfly from a female?
Males have a small black spot on the top surface of the hindwing. Females do not
. You can see the spot when the wings are open; sometimes it’s faintly visible when the wings are closed, too. Males also have slightly thinner wing veins.
Where do butterflies go at night?
Where do butterflies spend the night? At night, or during inclement weather, most butterflies
perch on the underside of a leaf, crawl deep between blades of grass or into a crevice in rocks, or find some other shelter, and sleep
.
What percentage of monarch caterpillars survive?
If you follow basic principles of cleanliness, your monarchs’ survival rate is likely to reach
80-95%
, far exceeding the meager 2-10% of monarchs that survive to become butterflies in the wild. It’s important to remove the caterpillars’ poop (called frass) from their dwelling at least once a day.
How long after a monarch hatches can it be released?
While monarchs can spread their wings and dry sufficiently to take a short flight after 90-120 minutes, it is best to wait
24 hours
to release them. A monarch’s first short flight soon after emergence allows them to reach a dark and protected spot where they rest the remainder of the day unless disturbed.
Do monarchs return to where they hatched?
Successful migrating monarchs will live between 6 to 9 months and reproduce and die in the southern U.S. in the spring. Their offspring then carry on their migration north. Therefore,
individual monarchs do not make it back to their original starting place
.
How long does it take a monarch caterpillar to make a chrysalis?
In about
2 weeks
from the time the caterpillar hatches from the egg the Monarch caterpillar will be ready to pupate. Monarch caterpillars will be about 2 inches long when they are ready to form their chrysalis.
How many caterpillars can one milkweed plant support?
The Milkweed in Picture #3 is a southern variety and is a very nice specimen. Each stem has about 10 leaves. A 4 foot plant this size will feed only
5 Monarch caterpillars
! Each monarch caterpillar will consume 20 or more large leaves.
Are monarchs coming back?
Annual migration of monarch butterflies in California shows sign of resurgence The annual winter monarch butterfly migration, which has seen steep declines in recent years,
seems to be making a comeback
. Biologists are encouraged and confused by the trend.
What will eat a monarch caterpillar?
Monarchs have many natural enemies. Predators such as
spiders and fire ants
kill and eat monarch eggs and caterpillars. Some birds and wasps feed on adult butterflies. These predators are easy to see, but monarchs also suffer attacks from parasites, organisms that live inside the monarchs’ bodies.
Will milkweed grow back after caterpillars?
Yes, if your milkweed is established, it should regrow after it’s eaten down by caterpillars
.
Can you feed monarch caterpillars cucumber?
Although
Monarch caterpillars will eat pumpkin, squash, cucumber, and a few related vegetables in captivity
, milkweed is their host plant. If you run out of milkweed and your caterpillars are just a couple of days from pupation, you can offer it something like butternut squash to eat.
How many milkweed leaves does a monarch caterpillar eat?
Commercial butterfly breeders tell me that each Monarch caterpillar can easily defoliate an entire one-gallon milkweed plant–consuming
175 – 200 leaves per caterpillar
–before eclosing to the chrysalis stage.
What do you feed a butterfly that just hatched?
Once your butterflies have emerged from the chrysalis stage, feed them with
fruit, nectar (sugar water), or nectar bearing flowers
.
Why is my monarch chrysalis turning black?
A black or very dark chrysalis could indicate that
the pupa died
. If you gently bend the chrysalis at the abdomen and it remains bent, the pupa’s probably dead, according to the Missouri Botanical Gardens Butterfly School website. This sometimes happens even if you do everything right in caring for the pupa.
What is the difference between a monarch butterfly and a Viceroy?
The main visual difference between the Viceroy and Monarch butterfly is
the black line drawn across the viceroy’s hind wings, which monarch butterflies do not have
. The viceroy is also a bit smaller than the monarch. Caterpillars of monarchs and viceroys are significantly different in appearance as well.
What time of day are monarch butterflies most active?
Monarchs are active
during the day, or diurnal
, and they rest at night or when it is cool in trees, shrubs or other sheltered areas. This state of rest in most insects is called torpor.
Do butterflies poop?
Many adult butterflies never poop
; they use up all they eat for energy. A group of butterflies is sometimes called a flutter. Despite popular belief, butterfly wings are clear. The colors and patterns we see are made by the reflection of the tiny scales covering them.
What does it mean when a monarch butterfly lands on you?
A monarch butterfly landing on you is a sign that
you are on the right path and are headed in the right direction
. It could also be a sign to pay attention and be grateful for what you have in your life right now.
Do aphids harm monarch caterpillars?
The good news is that
aphids are not a direct threat to monarch eggs or larvae
. Aphids will feed on the milkweed plant only; they won’t spread to your other plants. They only tend to be problematic is the plant is very small or weak.
Can you move monarch caterpillars?
The answers are
yes, you may relocate the creatures once they make their chrysalis
, and no, the caterpillars do not need to chrysalis on milkweed. In fact, Monarch and other chrysalises often are found as far as 30 feet from the hostplant where they ate their last meal.
Do ladybugs harm monarch caterpillars?
Those pests tear up our food plants and pretty flowers. But those ladybugs don’t know that we planted some of those flowers so that insects would eat them. It was quite a surprise.
Ladybugs kill monarch caterpillars
.
