Date: 09/23/2019

Number: 1

Monarch Waystation #271 reports @~10 am a faded female monarch struggling to lay an egg in the front yard. She landed, bent her abdomen under a leaf, and paused in that position for a long time until finally squeezing one egg out. This female has been seen laying eggs in the yard on and off for some days. Her flight and nectaring are both energetic but when she rests, she clings to milkweeds in 2 odd positions: vertically clinging to stems with abdomen straight down [like a grasshopper], or clinging to leaves with her body nearly horizontal with curved abdomen just out in the air. As you watch you think, is she is attempting to lay an "air" egg? Trying to find a comfortable resting position? Trying to raise the temperature of her abdomen? Using gravity to move eggs downwards through her abdomen? Running out of eggs? Wish I could post more than the one photo to show the variation of her poses. Her uniquely "bird beak clipped" left forewing and different landing and resting behaviors caught my attention. Posted photo shows how obscured her abdominal color markings are. Wonder if her scales are just worn away or she is highly infected with O.e. spores. Whatever is going on, this is one tough monarch mama!

Newport News, VA

Latitude: 37.1 Longitude: -76.5

Observed by: Judy
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