Date: 06/15/2024

Number: 3

A while back I reported 2 first instar larva. Unfortunately, those two disappeared. That was in one of my Milkweed patches in the back of the property. Arriving home this evening I walked along my driveway patch. Mostly I was looking for bees caught in the blossoms of the flowers as my Common Milkweed has started to bloom. A couple years back I noticed that some smaller bees could get their feet caught in the milkweed flowers and not get out, resulting in their death. So I regularly monitor to save the bees. I have been casually monitoring my many Milkweed plants for weeks now but I have not seen any eggs or larva. Tonight I was very surprised to discover a fourth instar. I am perplexed as to where he came from. Upon closer analysis, I noticed that in the trench between the lawn and the driveway that I just re-dug this spring there are, dozens upon dozens of tiny Milkweed plants. I have been examining the big plants. I discovered some eating on a tiny plant. These big guys must’ve fed on the tiny plants and worked their way up to the big plants because only one of the big Milkweeds has evidence of eating on the leaves. After discovering the first fourth instar I looked a little more closely on other plants and found another fourth instar and a third instar. The photograph I have included is one of the fourth instars. Unfortunately, it has evidence of a Tachnid fly injury. I don’t expect him to make it. I will be monitoring these three larvae closely to report on their development.

Lakeshore, ON

Latitude: 42.2 Longitude: -82.9

Observed by: Laura
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