Date: 04/29/2019

Number: 9

Monarch Waystation #271 reports the first monarch larvae sighted. All 9 seen were 2nd instars, scattered in ones and pairs on Purple milkweed mainly and one common milkweed in the front bed. This was not a diligent search for all larvae but done as I was doing other projects. The photo shows one instar and the side of another peeking from the opposite side of the same purple milkweed leaf. I was surprised the female chose to oviposit on the purple milkweeds first despite the more tender leaves of common milkweed also available. There were more of the purple milkweed stems up, so that may have influenced her choice. These 2 larvae moved to the nearby common milkweed you see in the photo a day or two later. They had not finished eating the purple milkweed leaf they were on but seemed to have left it for the less leathery leaves available.

Newport News, VA

Latitude: 37.1 Longitude: -76.5

Observed by: Judy
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