Date: 08/22/2013

Number: 20

I slipped down to the country east of Toronto for a couple of days in advance of the Tommy Thompson Park Butterfly Festival in Toronto on Saturday. Before a brief but strong rain storm (with limited lightning and thunder in the Cobourg area), I collected about 40 eggs and 20 very small caterpillars from a large field containing thousands of milkweed plants of various sizes. I only found 1 large caterpillar and evidence on milkweed leaves of frass from 2 other larger caterpillars.

Spotted 2 egg laying monarchs and in another nearby alfalfa field, 1 bright new male adult. That was all.

Caterpillars were a challenge to find as they had snuggled down in the small top leaves on the milkweed plant. Spotting very small particles of frass was a hint to look further on the plant or gently spread open the tender top leaves.

One green frog was resting and camouflaged on a milkweed leaf. Heard my first cicadas. All other butterfly species are also almost non existent except for a few cabbage whites. Overlooking one huge alfalfa field from which I collected hundreds of monarchs last year at this time: 1 new fresh monarch. A butterfly desert.

Toronto, ON

Latitude: 43.7 Longitude: -79.4

Observed by: Donald A.
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