We love to see the Monarch Butterflies in the garden so when I was clearing at the side of the house I left the small Swan Plant on which their caterpillars feed. In recent days I have noticed caterpillars on the bush (if one could call it that as it is not very big and getting eaten rapidly).
Some of the caterpillars are quite large whereas the only one to be in the chrysalis stage is the smallest one.
There are so many caterpillars on it that I removed one yesterday to a smaller plant I had noticed elsewhere in the garden hoping that, in fact, it is the same plant. First thing this morning I checked and found the small caterpillar quite happy and growing rapidly.
Earlier in the year there was just one caterpillar on the plant but it vanished so I presume it had been attacked by a wasp or some other predator. I just hope that we have enough feed for these ones.
The caterpillars are as beautiful as the butterflies. Poor old plant though; you need a whole patch of them.
ReplyDeleteCro - yes, there was a large plant last year but it died off and we have these two small ones this year. I just hope there is sufficient to feed them all.
ReplyDeletethose caterpillars are busy aren't they. Like Cros says - the colours are stunning. Sue when they 'hatch' into Monarch butterflies post a picture of them. We have a lot of 'Red Admirals' here in the summer but I haven't seen a Monarch butterfly I would recognise
ReplyDeleteWill try and take a photo of the next one I see.
DeleteThe monarchs are such special, beautiful creatures that share our world. What joy you are going to have when the first takes flight. We have quite a few here in the summer and my daughter, who lives in California, resides down the street from a park where thousands upon thousands of these butterflies return every year.
ReplyDeleteThey are wonderful aren't they - just hope they survive to adulthood!!!
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