Date: 06/28/2009

Number: 1

In my yard in Greensboro, NC I generally get an early spring monarch
ovipositing at some point during April. Then again starting in late July
or early August is a longer period of ovipositing over several days or a week or so, probably from more than one butterfly. I have not had any
monarch sightings between those times. The late summer brood has provided
some butterflies that were tagged and released in mid September and migrated to Mexico.

On Friday June 26th I observed a monarch ovipositing at around 1 PM in the afternoon. First of all I was quite surprised to see a monarch at that date, let alone have it ovipositing. She was very methodical and quick.
The times I observed her she went to a plant, selected a leaf about 2/3rds of the way up a 3 ft. or so common milkweed plant and deposited an egg, quickly moved to a similar location on another plant, etc. A bit later I collected several eggs from this standard location and did not see her during that time. The plants she used were on the partially shaded front and side of the house. There were no eggs found on larger plants in the
back in the sun. Two hours later I noticed she (I presume) had returned
but I had to leave for the weekend so did not investigate knowing I had a few eggs collected to raise.

When I returned Sunday afternoon I found that a few of the eggs I had collected had hatched and I also found a few 1st instar caterpillars on plants while checking for more eggs. That makes me think some of the eggs
may have be deposited a day or so before Friday. On Sunday I also found
numerous eggs on 2" and 4'' A. curissavica plants in a group of pots, plus some eggs on few a smaller more tender common milkweed plants near the A.
curissavica.

This strikes me as a bit unusual and I wonder if it may be a piece of a different re-population dynamic this year. Earlier I posted a note that there were two periods of ovipositing this spring, one around mid April and a second one the first week of May. I left the May eggs on the plants and as near as I could tell only about 4 or 5 out of 20 some eggs made it to second instar and I presume none made it to adult as I didn't find any 5th instars caterpillars other than the one I managed to step on while working in the driveway.

Greensboro, NC

Latitude: 36.1 Longitude: -79.8

Observed by:
Contact Observer

The observer's e-mail address will not be disclosed.
Contact will be made through a web-based form.