Date: 05/23/2014

Number: 1

We have been collecting a few 4th and 5th instars in the gardens and two egg-laying females were seen in the garden just now. Things are looking a bit better than last year at this time.

As I mentioned earlier, female monarchs were seen in the garden this morning. I watched one of them for several minutes. She was very selective and focused on the very tops of the plants, the meristems, the fastest growing tissues.

I've just returned from an egg hunt. I went back to where I watched the female and searched every leaf of about 20 ramets (stems) of the common milkweed. I was disappointed. I only found one egg - the one I had seen the female oviposit. So, I moved on to other plants - and bingo! An egg - on a flower bud - really the tinniest of flower buds - less than a dime in dia. So, I changed my search strategy and examined every flower head in the garden along with the adjacent leaves (usually less than a half inch in length). Some of the buds had two eggs and some flower heads 3 and 4 eggs. Overall, I found over 20 eggs. I don't know whether these eggs were all laid by the one selective female seen earlier or whether additional females were involved. I'll check for more eggs tomorrow afternoon.

I've seen selective oviposition like this in the past - usually when buds are first forming but more often on tuberosa than on syriaca.

Courtesy of Monarch Watch

Lawrence, KS

Latitude: 39 Longitude: -95.2

Observed by:
Contact Observer

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