Monarch Butterfly Egg Hunt is On
Dot’s Thots: “The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough.” –
Rabindranath Tagore
I have looked unsuccessfully for Monarch butterfly eggs in the past and doing it again. I do have very bad eyes, but suspect it was my timing.. Here is a picture from the Wikimedia site that actually shows a butterly laying eggs — wow!! I just got my first Monarch butterfly yesterday from this last batch (fourth generation of butterflies since I planted and nurtured butterfly bushes.
Monarch Butterfly Laying Eggs
Common sense tells me that this is happening when my butterflies flutter around, but I have not seen the eggs — so how big are they and what will I be looking for — so I went looking for some pictures from which to learn and train my eyes. So, another Wikimedia helpful hint:
Monarch Butterfly Eggs on Gomphocarpus physocarpus (Swan Plant)
This does not look like the butterfly bushes I am growing, but I get the idea that the eggs are pretty small. Hence, I plan to look for the eggs over the next few weeks as the butterflies appear. I do admit to being a little lax in the hunting and noticing — I usually only catch on when the caterpillars appear and the leaves look kind of ratty.
This is an effort on my part to learn — I want to be a waypoint (tiny one) in that great migration of monarch butterflies down to Mexico and back. I remember monarch butterflies from girlhood in Hawaii.
Well, enough for today — I will post over the next few weeks and if I fail to find the eggs, we will at least be alert for the caterpillar appearance.
At least, I have learned via the internet what to look for and can be more observant. Next year I plan to track the monarch butterly migration a lot better.
Aloha, DoT
Related Articles and References:
Related Posts:
- Asclepsis and Lantana: Food for Monarch Butterflies
- Scene in Hawaii: Monarch Butterfly Caterpiller in a Supermarket Garden Shop
- A Note on Monarch Butterflies in Hawaii
- Monarch Butterfly Haiku: Camera Madness
- Monarch Butterfly Sightings Haiku — the Asclepsis Gardener’s Reward
- Missed the Monarch Butterfly Chrysalis — Found It Empty
- Monarch Butterflies — Caterpillar Faith
- Monarch Butterfly Life Cycle Site Review — go visit
- Monarch Butterfly Egg Hunt — First Report
