heurtoirfan:
1- Life cycle of a Monarch told in 36 pictures !
heurtoirfan:
2- This is the egg, about 3mm
heurtoirfan:
3- One egg is ready to hatch
heurtoirfan:
4- After 3 days the egg has hatched and the larva will eat the shell
heurtoirfan:
5- the larva is about 1 hour old ,no distinctive pattern yet
heurtoirfan:
6- the pattern starts to show bands yellow , black and white after a few hours
heurtoirfan:
7- 1 day old and already 7mm long
heurtoirfan:
8- I am growing fast
heurtoirfan:
9- I have found a friend
heurtoirfan:
10- The larva molts for the first time, now 20mm long
heurtoirfan:
11- the larva has eaten its molted skin
heurtoirfan:
12- Look at my beautiful face.
heurtoirfan:
13- Milkweed blooms are my favorite food
heurtoirfan:
14- Racing with a friend
heurtoirfan:
15- the caterpillar molts again
heurtoirfan:
16-and again will eat its old skin
heurtoirfan:
17- Still busy eating
heurtoirfan:
18- the nursery
heurtoirfan:
19- Still growing , 4cm long
heurtoirfan:
20- 4.5 cm and ready to wonder off to look for the best place to turn into a chrysalis
heurtoirfan:
21- But one last meal !
heurtoirfan:
22- The chrysalis, just made as it was still moving inside ! I placed it in a hatchery.
heurtoirfan:
23- the caterpillar has molted for the last time and the newly exposed skin dries and hardens
heurtoirfan:
24- The chrysalis stays apparently dormant for 8 days but is turning into a butterfly inside
heurtoirfan:
25- after 8 days the chrysalis starts to change aspect
heurtoirfan:
26- 12 hours later the chrysalis has become transparent
heurtoirfan:
27- and 15 minutes later a damp butterfly emerges
heurtoirfan:
28- This is what is left of the chrysalis
heurtoirfan:
29- The monarch slowly dries its wings
heurtoirfan:
30- I placed the monarch on the milkweed
