Date: 09/01/2013

Number: 11

The first part of Sept. I collected about 25 cats off of the milkweed in my flower garden. There were several large ones, I had quit checking for them because I had not seen a Monarch butterfly all summer. These were so large, you didn't have to look very hard for them. I collected all I could find, and continued to find more over the next week. As they "J'd" one by one they died. With the first 3 that died, I found the tachnid fly pupae on the floor underneath the hanging cat. As the others hung to J, I could tell they weren't well. After they were obviously dead, I dissected them, and found the maggot inside. I lost about 15 this way. BUT!!! 11 successfully became chrysalis, and then emerged into butterflies. To date, I have released 10, and amazingly they have been equal amount of boys and girls, 5 each. I have one chrysalis remaining. It is getting dark today, and I expect it to emerge tomorrow.
I have a burning question... where will these butterflies go? Will they fly south with the migration to Mexico?

Springfield, MO

Latitude: 37.2 Longitude: -93.3

Observed by: Jody
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