Date: 03/19/2025

Number: 7

Today I did an early milkweed survey for monarch eggs and larvae. I looked at 90 native milkweed plants (Asclepias viridis) and found a total of 156 eggs and 7 larvae. I did the survey from 11:00am to 1:00pm, covering about four acres.

It was sunny, 73 degrees F, with 20% humidity, and winds at 13mph from the W. I saw multiple monarchs flying around at times during the survey, including three female monarchs egg-laying. The first milkweed sprout I observed this season and the first monarch seen was March 8. The first larvae seen were on March 16 ~ found on the first milkweed and from the first seen eggs. Each day I see more monarchs arriving and more milkweed emerging.

These are the monarch egg count results:

26 milkweed w/0 eggs
31 milkweed w/1 egg
11 milkweed w/2 eggs
10 milkweed w/3 eggs
2 milkweed w/4 eggs
4 milkweed w/5 eggs
3 milkweed w/6 eggs
1 milkweed w/7 eggs
0 milkweed w/8 eggs
1 milkweed w/9 eggs
0 milkweed w/10 eggs
1 milkweed w/11 eggs

These are the monarch larvae count results:

1st instars: 7

I may have missed some of the newborn larvae, as they are harder to see than the bright little monarch eggs and often tucked in hard to see spots.

This is a photo of one of the 1st instar monarch larvae seen today ~ sunbathing.

(Monarch Watch Monarch Waystation Habitat #562 established 2006 and Journey North monarch reports since 2006 ~~ with Many Thanks!)

Montgomery, TX

Latitude: 30.4 Longitude: -95.8

Observed by: Kathy
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