Date: 11/10/2021

Number: 9

On November 4th, we brought in 9 monarch caterpillars that were on the last remaining blooming, native milkweed plant in our yard before a cold front came through, which was predicted to be 40 degrees. They were probably in their 4th or 5th in star. All 9 made it to the chrysalis stage in the butterfly hatchery.
Unfortunately, they had been infected with a tachinid fly larvae & we witnessed the tell-tale signs of the threads suspending from 5 of the chrysalis’ then witnessed the tachinid larvae emerge from the 5 chrysalises.
We smashed the larvae, and on November 14th, the remaining 4 monarchs hatched. We released them back into the yard in the same spot we collected them from in about 70 degree weather. They all flew away.

Glen Saint Mary, FL

Latitude: 30.4 Longitude: -82.2

Observed by: Deborah
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