Date: 04/08/2025

Number: 123

Today I did a milkweed survey for monarch eggs and larvae. I looked at 163 native milkweed plants (Asclepias viridis) and found a total of 123 eggs and 66 larvae. I did the survey this afternoon covering about four acres. I am sure I missed some larvae with some well-hidden in bud crowns and elsewhere ~ trying to be careful and not disturb them too much.

It was sunny, 70 degrees F, with 30% humidity, and winds at 3mph from the NW. I saw multiple monarchs flying around during the survey, including a mated pair. The milkweed is abundant and healthy. The last two nights were near freezing, but thankfully it stayed above that. The March 21 freeze took a sad toll on the milkweed and monarch eggs that had been laid on them at that time. The monarchs here are actively mating and laying eggs and finding an abundance of nectar flowers.

These are the monarch egg count results:

65 milkweed w/0 eggs
76 milkweed w/1 egg
19 milkweed w/2 eggs
3 milkweed w/3 eggs

These are the monarch larvae count results:

1st instars: 45
2nd instars: 13
3rd instars: 4
4th instars: 2
5th instars: 2

Note: Some of the milkweed with 0 or some eggs also had one or more larvae.

This is a photo of one of the milkweed plants with three monarch eggs.

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

Montgomery, TX

Latitude: 30.4 Longitude: -95.8

Observed by: Kathy
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