Date: 07/22/2020

Number: 1

I picked a milkweed plant on 7/8/2020 because I love their scent.
To my surprise 2 weeks later I saw a beautiful catepillar and knew she was special.
After researching I realized it was a monarch catepillar in the 5th instar so I picked more milkweed as the first few small plants were wilting.
She crunched on a leaf I impaled on a daisy stem and made her way up the milkweed stem across the deck railing to my mini petunia plant.
She (Crystal) assumed the J hang position and the next day I saw the chrysalis!
After 13 days she eclosed on 8/6/2020 and was the most stunning sight I had seen!
We watched her for many hours but it was a shady day so she slept in the plant all night.
The next morning before 10 am we got a hard rainfall so I placed the pot under the umbrella a few minutes then placed in a sunny area.
She warmed up a few minutes and fluttered then took her first flight to the tall forest trees on 8/7/2020
I documented the metamorphosis! What a blessing!
By the way He turned out to be a male monarch but I still call him Crystal;)

Pocono Lake, PA

Latitude: 41.1 Longitude: -75.5

Observed by: Grace
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