Two and a half leaves wow, .How large are droppings (fras)? If the size of peppercorns its in its last instar. If it is a chubby 2 inches long and at the top of the box and not moving it is ready to pupate. If it is smaller than 2 inches it will be shedding its skin to go to the next instar (term for the stages of worm growth). The tenticles get longer and curvier with successive skin sheds. Shedding process takes about 24 hours, the worm is semi-dormant (gently touch it and it will react) because its insides are being reconfigured, then it sheds, and when his new skin is firmed up it will eat the shedded skin and then go back to the milkweed leaf. Look for the face mask that does not get eaten. That is all that may remain to let you know he shed and ate his skin.
www.monarchwatch.org has all the info on monarchs, from egg to fly. that is where I learned about them. Butterflyfunfacts.com has some serious info about what does go wrong so we don't blame ourselves. These 2 sites are as good as this forum's.
Yesterday 4 more butterflies emerged and I released 11 in the afternoon. 4 males and 7 females. I found additional eggs and now have 15 so if all goes well I will have raised 39 butterflies and maybe I will spot some more baby worms. I had a concern for one pupa it had a tiny slit in the case where it's legs would be. I looked up deformed pupas and the butterflies emerge with physical problems...butterflyfunfacts has pictures. I was ready to eutenize it if it were deformed because they cant survive. I would have put it in a bag and crushed instant deatht but....if the wings were whole I could use them to repair another butterflies damage wing. So I would put him in the freezer and the death takes a bit longer but would save another butterfly's life.. But prayer works and he emerged normal!
This batch of eggs were laid on the seed pods, tricky to spot. pics with last numbers of 31, 35, 37 this worm is in its last instar and may pupate by Sunday. The leaves have eggs on them and for my watch I put pins a short distance from the eggs on the pods. If one of those pod points are injured they will bleed a little of the milk sap and look like an egg. I need to use a magni glass to see which are eggs a mimic way to throw off predators.
My displayed plaques of membership are on the garage wall and the back yard shed. The first picture are the ones I released yesterday and the last is of the sunny flowerbed that I am re-doing including the edgers so my hubby can not week wack flowers or weeds I plant for keeps,
I looked for eggs and caterpillars on the other plants very carefully, but sadly, this is the only one despite the fact that there was another female fluttering around the other day. Going to keep watch. I'll keep you posted Rose. Thanks for your advice. I'm enjoying this.
