DailyPetPhotography Rearing Monarch Butterflies Part 1 "Egg to 2nd Instar" by Sunscape

I wanted to share my first experience rearing Monarch Caterpillars from the egg state until their release. In this post, I will share a few photos from the egg to the 2nd instar stage. I hope you enjoy seeing my little "temporary" pets.

The Egg Gathering

In order for a Monarch to lay eggs in your garden, you must first have a host plant for them. I have a few patches around my yard that I allow native Milkweed to grow. This ensures that when the females are ready they will have a place to deposit their eggs. he eggs hatch about four days after they are laid. As females lay their eggs, they secrete a small amount of glue to attach the eggs directly to the plant. Female monarch butterflies lay 300-500 eggs over two to five weeks. SOURCE

Here I have cut out a small section of the Milkweed leaf where an egg has been laid. I then place the leaf sections onto a damp paper towel. This is then kept in a closed container for approximately 5-6 days until the eggs hatch. These eggs are smaller than the top of a pin.

Baby Caterpillars

As soon as you see some surface damaged to the leaf sections you know that the babies have hatched. They will often hide on the underside of the leaf when resting after feasting for awhile. Once they are hatched. I move them to a different container with dry toweling and a large Milkweed leaf. I always wrap the stem of each leaf in a damp paper towel to keep it fresh for a longer period of time.

It is important to never try to pick up the caterpillar at this stage as they are so very tiny. I always move them when they are on a leaf. You can see how quickly they have grown in just 2-3 days after hatching.

Appearance

After hatching, the larva eats its eggshell (chorion). It then eats clusters of fine hairs on the bottom of the milkweed leaf before starting in on the leaf itself. It feeds in a circular motion, often leaving a characteristic, arc-shaped hole in the leaf. First (and second) instar larvae often respond to disturbance by dropping off the leaf on a silk thread and hanging suspended in the air. Time in this larval stage is usually 1-3 days, temperature-dependent. SOURCE





The little black dots on the leaf are the caterpillar's droppings. These must be cleaned out once or twice a day depending on how much they have gone. This is to ensure that no bacteria grows in the cage that will make them sick.

Later this week I will show you the 2nd and 3rd Instar stages of my little friends. Stayed tuned for an update on their progress.

Thank you @kona for initiating this #dailypetphotography challenge.

Until next time, this is Sunscape...

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