Date: 10/01/2016

Number: 6

Monarch Waystation #299 report: During a Butterfly event today, I noticed a female monarch laying eggs on a patch of common milkweed in the Conservation Garden. She was faded and desperate enough to knock a 5th instar monarch caterpillar off its petiole perch to lay an egg on the smallest square millimeter patch of leaf left on that plant! The caterpillar tried to hang on but dropped off to the ground and rolled up. While I watched the female, not only was there the 5th instar caterpillar she shoved off the milkweed, but also 2 more 5th instars, 1 new 2nd instar, and a 4th instar, in that patch. One more 5th instar was seen on the nearby fence on "walkabout." There may have been more caterpillars there, we've found and taken in many to rear previously from this particular patch.

Newport News, VA

Latitude: 37.1 Longitude: -76.5

Observed by: Judy
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