Previous Sightings - 2004 to 2008

[Lindabird]

I decided to look at my milkweed today to see if the freezing temperatures we've had lately did any harm to my tiny plants, and I'm sure I must be seeing things, but I'm 99% sure that my tiny plants (less than 6 inches-3-4 leaves) are covered with monarch eggs. Isn't this way too early? There is no way that I have enough milkweed for them. I'm not even sure if I can find any elsewhere yet. There are some eggs under some of the tiny leaves, but the stalks of the plants are covered. I took a picture of one plant that has 8 or 9 eggs almost on top of each other. I took pictures. As soon as I can figure out how to share my pictures I will let you know. Last year it was late June before I had any eggs, and it caught me off guard (my first year)...but this is crazy! I know what eggs look like, and I know that's what these are. I haven't seen any monarchs flying around, but I have seen some black swallowtails. Plus, I have had a couple of swallowtails come out the last 3 to 4 weeks.

Has anyone else seen any Monarchs or eggs around Southern Indiana?

Linda

[Lindabird]

I posted links to pictures of the "eggs" in the "REARING MONARCHS" forum. I'd love to hear what you think. I just know they are eggs. I just don't know how to feed approximately 50 caterpillars when my plants are between 1 and 5 inches tall.

I looked through the past few years, and it seems that it is rare to find eggs this early in Southern Indiana. Is anyone else finding eggs right now?

Linda

[Sandwhy]

Hi Lindabird - looks like there are indeed monarchs all over Indiana!

http://www.learner.org/jnorth/images/gr ... 07_SL.html

Seems like they are up in Green Bay, WI also?!? It does seem rather early - what are you going to do with all of those eggs??

Sandy (just north of Chicago... haven't seen anything yet here!)

[Lindabird]

Sandy:

I had 75+ eggs! By the time I found someone to take them, a bunny nibbled on several of my milkweed plants and ultimately ate a lot of the eggss! I did salvage approx. 25 eggs and waited to see if they were viable eggs before I shipped them off. I put all the tiny caterpillars in a container and shipped them priority mail to California. They all arrived two days later alive and well.

I was shocked when I found them that early! I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I wish I had taken more pictures. Several of my pictures are kind of blurry. There was one milkweed plant about 4-5 inches tall, and it had 9 eggs practically on top of each other on the stalk.

I still have not seen one Monarch in my area this year. However, I talked to someone a couple of weeks ago and he said he had seen 2 Monarchs around the time I found my eggs. They are here, I just haven't seen them. I've seen several Black Swallowtails, and have had several eggs too.

I'm working hard trying to get all my plants/seeds planted so I will be ready when they finally arrive!

Linda

[Lindabird]

I still haven't sighted a Monarch, but I found 3 more eggs the other day. They were all on TOP of the leaves, which I thought was strange. I wasn't even sure if they were Monarch eggs at first, but yesterday I went out to check on them and I found a couple of little caterpillars!

Linda

[Lindabird]

I finally saw a Monarch yesterday in the mall parking lot! Even though I've had eggs on my plants twice this year already, this is the first time I've actually seen a Monarch!

Linda
(Southern Indiana)

[SWAMPMILKWEED]

Today was the first I have seen a monarch this season...HURRAH!!! I've seen quite a few swallowtails, A painted ladies, several species duskywings, frosted elfin, e tail blues, commas, mourning cloaks, many sulphurs, A coppers, pearl crescents, and other species I can't remember off hand. This was the first monarch, though! My milkweed is coming along - common, swamp & bfly so I'll start to look for eggs tonight. Bring it on

[GBMonarch]

I saw one and thought it must be too soon, but I had 14 eggs on my milkweed plants. I collected them and they are are now happily incubating in my house. I had to get all my things together, I hadn't expected eggs so early. Hooray!

[James Price]

We saw our first Monarch today about 4 blocks from our house, then came home to find 27 eggs in our yard on our purple milkweed, swamp milkweed and Sullivant's milkweed.

For those of you who live in the Milwaukee area, specifically Milwaukee County, we are looking for a new source of common milkweed to feed our hungry cats, as the Milwaukee County Grounds have been stripped for a flood abatement project of horrendous proportions. Suggestions appreciated.

[MILW]

I think they hatched on Tuesday 5/22, when we checked last night, the hungry little fellers had already eaten the semicircular pattern!

[monarchlady]

They're here! I found four cats about 1/2 long already - I was really surprised. Never found any this early - always in beginning of June! Hope this will be a successful summer for all!

[James Price]

The Milwaukee County Grounds still has several good patches of common milkweed, although you have to walk farther to reach it. We found numerous eggs and even one small cat, which is a bit earlier than we found them last year.

[SWAMPMILKWEED]

Yup, I found 4 eggs today! On the swamp and the bfy milkweed. first for the year and yes, seems a bit early to me. I say bring'em on

[James Price]

We traveled up to our land in Adams County, in central Wisconsin, and got to see a very tattered female monarch laying eggs on swamp, common and purple milkweed. There were also several small cats. We brought a few home with us, but left plenty to spur the local population. The milkweed looks like it is off to a strong start, and we planted more.

[Teresa]

Aw man i haven't seen the first one yet

[Lindabird]

I finally SAW a Monarch in my backyard on my milkweed. It didn't stay very long, but it did come back a little bit later. I think it was a female but couldn't get a real good look at it. I did look for eggs, but didn't find any. I have 4 Chrysalids' right now and one will be emerging tomorrow morning so I will be releasing it in my yard tomorrow evening. Hopefully it, and the others, will hang around for a while!

[ohiomonarchmama]

It's officially summer in my backyard! Saw 2 monarchs this afternoon, just sailing around my yard and landing on the milkweed and other bushes to "sun themselves". I could see that one was a male, but couldn't get that close to the other one. I didn't see any eggs yet, but the little buggers laid some on the milkweed flower buds last year where I wasn't looking, so I'll be sure to check there, too!

[wbl56]

Finally saw monarchs in my yard yesterday (28 June). At least two adults checking out the butterfly weed and the common milkweed. Although these are the first adults I have seen, the monarchs have obviously been around at least for a little while as I also found my first larvae, including what look to be 5th instar larvae on the prairie milkweed and the common milkweed. It's good to know they are back in town.

[Lindabird]

I still don't have any Monarch eggs. It's been awhile since I've seen a Monarch in my yard...or anywhere. Last weekend I went to Chesterfield, MO to the Butterfly House and along the way I saw tons and tons of milkweed...but not one Monarch. I did see several black swallowtails though. I've got some black swallowtail cats, and eggs right now.

The Butterfly House had a lot of milkweed in front of the building, but we only found one 5th instar cat, and no eggs.

The Butterfly House was awesome! It was worth the drive!

Linda

[Sandwhy]

Here in Evanston (just north of Chicago) I've had eggs being laid by monarchs pretty steadily since June 6th.... always see at least one if not 2 adults in the garden, save for yesterday when FIVE were floating about! oooh, aahhhh.... that's a lot for us and our teeny yard!

Also have American Ladies and BSTs laying eggs, and have seen so many Red Admirals and more Question Marks then usual.

Sorry you don't have any eggs, yet, Linda. If you want you can come up and take some from our garden!

Sandy

[Lindabird]

Thanks Sandy!

I had 75+ eggs in the middle of April....I had no milkweed to feed them because it was so early. A bunny came along and ate a lot of the eggs before I could figure out what to do, but I did ship the rest of them to California where they would have a chance.

After that I thought this was going to be a really busy year. Then NOTHING!

I was about to give up, but I looked out my window to day and saw something fluttering about. I went outside to see what it was and it was not one, but two female Monarchs! I haven't found any eggs yet, but I'm hoping they will come back tomorrow. They were more interested in my Zinnia's.

I also found a bunch of black swallowtail eggs today too.

I had Monarchs, black swallowtails, tiger swallowtails, and cabbage whites in my yard today.

I'm going to work in my yard all weekend so I'm hoping to see a lot more!

Linda

[SWAMPMILKWEED]

We too started out with a bang then things quieted. But, in the last 2 days I've seen alot of eggs on my common mw here in Toledo OH. Like, where did those females come from and when???? Two days ago the last 2 remaining 5th instars escaped the potted tropical mw into the hydrangea to pupate... (:

At Kitty Todd Preserve, TNC, Swanton OH, I've been counting 10-12 monarchs consistently everyweekend for past month. Many larvae on bfly mw & common. Overall number of lepidoptera species and individuals have been very, very high last 2 wks at the preserve. Fed endangered Karner Blues have been being released at KT and at OO Metropark last 3-4 wks too.

Today at Kelly's Island on Lake Erie OH, we saw several monarchs. But then again on that island, seeing a Giant Swallowtail nectaring on the cultivated plants in town is not uncommon... Kelly's Island is also a monarch stopover from Canada in Sept. Highly recommend KI for bfly watchers.

[Lindabird]

Still no eggs here! My milkweed has already bloomed and the pods are formed, and several have already split open.

I have seen one or two Monarchs this past week, but one of them wasn't in my yard. I'm starting to lose the enthusiasm I had at the beginning of the summer!

The Tussock Moth caterpillars are enjoying my milkweed though! Oh well, I'm glad something is enjoying it!

Linda

[ohiomonarchmama]

I have been seeing a few monarchs about every day here. Every time I go to get leaves to feed the cats, I come across a few more eggs. I was happy to see Swampmilkweed's post about Kelley's Island. I was even thinking about going there this weekend. (Hey, "Swampy", I used to live in Sylvania when I got started with this monarch craziness, so I am somewhat familiar with your area). I know it's a little early, but please notify here if you see a roost at Kelley's Island or other spots in northern OH. I have never seen this and would really like to. There is also a website www.journeynorth.org that I have been checking and reporting sightings to...they deal with monarchs as well as other migration and seasonal sightings. It's so great to have a network of enthusiasts here at the forum to share information with! Thanks!

[SWAMPMILKWEED]

I'll be glad to let you know about Kelly's ! I hope to attend the monarch fest they have in September. I've never seen a roost but if I hear/see one I'll be glad to let you know. And like you, every time I pluck leaves for the cats, I end up bringing in 3-4 more eggs. Craziness... and my fingers are just about permantly glued together now... Monarch sightings in my waystation continue daily although not so much in flight around town. Seems to be about the same count as last year - near Westgate & Old Orchard areas, Toledo OH...remember them ohiomonarchmamma?

[SWAMPMILKWEED]

Butterfly Fest is September 8th, 2007. Happy bfling.....

[ohiomonarchmama]

We were at U of Toledo today...my son is HS senior and strongly considering their engineering program! Small world, eh? We used to live across from Pacesetter Park (NW part of Sylvania) before all the construction. Our old milkweed field is now replaced with new houses in Woodstream West. Sad. Glad we weren't there to see it all happen. Two more mw patches where we live now got "plowed" last week before we knew it would be happening. Aren't the monarchs lucky there are people like us to keep them going? Thanks for KI fest date! Hoping for LOTS of monarchs. I'll try to be there! Maybe we should have a monarchwatch-er OH chapter meeting! Swamp...Do you happen to be a teacher?

[Teresa]

Where is this butterfly fest? I didn't know there was one around here.

[Lindabird]

YIPPEE! The Monarchs finally found me this week! I've had 3 in my yard at a time. Everytime I look out the window, I see monarchs, black swallowtails, and yellow tiger swallowtails.

I have found 3 small cats, and 17 Monarch eggs so far!

I was about to give up on them!

Linda

[ohiomonarchmama]

YAY, Lindabird! Not fair for all of us to have all the fun cleaning poop out of containers for hours on end! Just kidding...I'm happy for you that you have some babies to raise. Aren't they beautiful? I also have tiger and black swallowtails in my garden. Nice addition to the monarchs! My butterfly bush is finally blooming, after a LONG wait...business is really picking up! Hummers, too! Everyone around here thought the winter killed their bushes, but I told them to be patient...it was worth it!

As for the Butterfly fest, I have not been before, but it is on Kelley's Island, off the Lake Erie shore, not far from Sandusky and Cedar Point amusement park. There is a ferry and also a faster jet express that can take you over to the island. Here is a link to check out more info:
http://www.kelleysislandnature.com/natu ... events.htm

Hope this helps for anyone who's interested. Maybe I'll see you there!

[Lindabird]

Ohio....I'm up to 33 now. As I was cleaning their containers I started to think why was I complaining?

I looked out my window this morning and saw 2 Monarch's laying eggs. I'm sure there are more out there, but it was 99 degrees here today and just way too hot to look for eggs in my garden.

I've got to get my daughter to college in two weeks, and I have to have my classroom ready for school in two weeks also. I wish the Monarch's would have come here a little sooner so I could have enjoyed everything. They came at a very stressful time.

Oh well, just another thing on my overflowing plate!

Linda

[Lindabird]

Ohio....I'm up to 33 now. As I was cleaning their containers I started to think why was I complaining?

I looked out my window this morning and saw 2 Monarch's laying eggs. I'm sure there are more out there, but it was 99 degrees here today and just way too hot to look for eggs in my garden.

I've got to get my daughter to college in two weeks, and I have to have my classroom ready for school in two weeks also. I wish the Monarch's would have come here a little sooner so I could have enjoyed everything. They came at a very stressful time.

Oh well, just another thing on my overflowing plate!

Linda

[kali]

Hi all,

I'm in western wi and have at least 2-3 dozen at my liatris and butterfly bush today. We had a bit of a cool air burst yesterday, maybe that is bringing them down. Very fun.

kali

[ohiomonarchmama]

Monarch action at my garden has been almost nothing this week...I saw 3 monarchs in my garden today (sunny and warm) and got 2 of them tagged...My last 4 eggs hatched the week of Sept. 11...made chrysalides 9/22, 23, 23, and 26...the kids at school are waiting for them to emerge. Our last one is named "Omega". Neighbors at the block party yesterday have commented they have seen so many butterflies this summer, many more than usual, and more variety. I told them I can only take credit for the monarchs, except that we have more butterfly bushes (& milkweed) in the neighborhood now thanks to my campaigning! Counting the 4 yet to emerge, I will have raised and released 97 this year...I was going for 100, but had a few chrysalides that didn't make it...turned black and oozy...but most from the same group of eggs survived, so not sure what happened. Common milkweed has gotten brown spotches on leaves...only a few newer sprouts looked good, so that's what I was feeding them and almost ran out. Time to clean and disinfect my empty containers crowding my basement and store them for next year!...and get ready to rewrite my data sheets to be legible and send those in, too!

[froglegs]

On 10/23 I saw a monarch here just west of Chicago --it was cool but sunny morning and he was heading due south in a hurry. Curious what the last reported dates are for this area? Not a lot left flowering, mainly snapdragons.
Today 11/3 saw a red admiral flitting about.

[cgrendy3]

Greetings. I found five cats just a couple of weeks ago during a very warm spell that we had here in Central Indiana. I brought them home and fed them tropical milkweed--that even after a freeze here is still blooming! One cat died early on, but the other four went into chys stage right on time.

One emerged yesterday--November 8th--healthy and anxious to take off--but a second one emerged deformed and can't fly. It looks like a third will emerge today and the fourth in a couple of days.

Anyway.... here's the rub... we now have 50 degree days and nights in the mid 30s. What do I do with these guys???

If I release during the warmest part of the day--can they fly fast enough to get to a bit warmer southern area? Over the next few days we're going to be above freezing, but cold.... do these guys have a chance?

I have six furry cats--as in felines--so trying to "winter-over" the butterflies is going to be suicidal!

Thanks for any help!

[Lindabird]

My mom said she saw a big bright Monarch in her front yard a couple of days ago, but I hadn't seen any kind of butterfly yet....until today. I looked in my backyard and saw a very pale, slightly battered Monarch in my butterfly garden laying eggs on my milkweed. I had the same problem last year, a week before I believe. I had 75 eggs and milkweed no bigger than 1 to 4". I'm going to have to figure out a way to save them. Last year I shipped the eggs/caterpillars south for someone else to raise. Is anyone interested in these eggs? There were even a couple of eggs laid on dead oak leaves that were surrounding the milkweed.

Last year when this happened, I thought I was going to have a BIG year. However we had a cold front come through after I found the eggs, and didn't have any other butterflies/eggs until late June or early July.

Is this normal?

Linda

[Mona Miller]

For it to be normal, it would have to happen every year. I start milkweed inside and then when it gets warm bring it outside to grow.

I do think Global Warming is real and this is affecting when the milkweed comes up and when we see the Monarchs.

[Paul Cherubini]

I looked in my backyard and saw a very pale, slightly battered Monarch in my butterfly garden laying eggs on my milkweed. I had the same problem last year, a week before I believe. I had 75 eggs and milkweed no bigger than 1 to 4". I'm going to have to figure out a way to save them.

It's pretty normal for garden milkweeds to come up earlier than milkweeds in the countryside because the soil and air temperatures in a residential area tend to be warmer. Out in the countrside you can sometimes find the milkweed is up earlier in areas where the ground is bare and extra warm due to herbicide use several weeks earlier. Example: http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k75/4af/davis-1.jpg

[Mona Miller]

Herbicides have nothing to do with when the milkweed comes up. In the high school landscape it is up 3 inches and not a drop of herbicide has been used. I used weed block and over that shredded hardwood to keep down the weeds. It doesn't keep down the common milkweed. It comes right up through the weed block. I leave it for the Monarchs. I do have a problem with too many preying mantis who hang out in the shrubs and nab the monarchs on the flowers I have planted for the Monarchs to nectar.

A person in Maryland has common milkweed up 7 inches. I am pretty sure he doesn't use herbicide.

http://www.gardeningadventures.com/
He and his wife are habitat stewards.

[Paul Cherubini]

Herbicides have nothing to do with when the milkweed comes up.

Here is a real life example of how early spring use of herbicide caused the wild milkweed to come up earlier:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k75/4 ... rfield.jpg
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k75/4af/davisb.jpg

[Mona Miller]

The reality is that Monarch Watch and the Washington Area Butterfly Club do not condone the use of herbicides or pesticides in butterfly gardens.

[Paul Cherubini]

The reality is that Monarch Watch and the Washington Area Butterfly Club do not condone the use of herbicides or pesticides in butterfly gardens.

Here's another real life example of how herbicides can be beneficial in increasing the availability of early spring milkweeds for overwintered spring migrant monarchs: http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k75/4af/tracy.jpg
(the monarchs in the photo were captive overwintered female monarchs that I released because they were ready to lay eggs).

[Mona Miller]

This section is supposed to be about sightings, not weed killers.

http://monarchwatch.org/blog/2008/01/17 ... ant-weeds/
Roundup-Ready Crops and Resistant Weeds
"One of our justifications for the Monarch Waystation program has been the loss of milkweeds in 100 million acres of row crops* that followed the adoption of Roundup Ready soybeans and corn. In June of 2004 I wrote “Effects of Transgenic Crops on Milkweeds” where I drew attention to this issue and to the rapid development of weeds resistant to Roundup (glyphosate) in Argentina and concluded “Roundup resistant weeds seem to be in our future.” They are here and are spreading rapidly...."
(access the link to read more)

[SWAMPMILKWEED]

OH my gosh...my daughter caught a female in our backyard this afternoon. Toledo OH urban waystation #65. I 've never seen a monarch this early...! And didn't I read they had a rough winter in Mexico too?

[SWAMPMILKWEED]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/karnerblue/2457583841/

Link to the photo of the female netted in our backyard today. I was planning on looking for monarchs in maybe 3-4wks from now...certainly not today. Haven't even seen an azure or swallowtail yet this season, although I've heard they have ben seen. I saw a sleepy dw and 2 clouded sulphurs today and thought that was great... until the family called to say they netted this female.

[Paul Cherubini]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/karnerblue/2457583841/ Link to the photo of the female netted in our backyard today.

Nice photo. Do you happen to have other pictures of this butterfly? If not, can you tell us if the upper sides of the wings were extremely faded (washed out orange colors), moderately faded or fairly young looking (fairly bright orange colors)? Thanks.

[SWAMPMILKWEED]

My apologies...I know better than not to describe. She was very faded and tattered margins, but was very large. Large like a male who had plenty of food as a larva. A warrior! I think she'd been on the wing a long time. No bird bits, just very pale and frayed edges but lots of energy. I am concerned - there are almost no native nectar plants in bloom right now and mw is very immature. My family and I are still quite shocked at her appearance. Wondering about pheromones in the waystation... I've other photos, but nothing any different. I didn't want to handle her much and the bug net was not a good photo shot.

[SWAMPMILKWEED]

So that female found some mw in the waystation! I brought in the house anywhere from 15-20 on Friday 5/9/08 and yesterday 5/12 saw several 1st instars. And today 5/13, the airplane sprayed our neighborhood with BT for gypsy moths. Ugh.... I know there were many more eggs in the waystation as of last night. Almost in tears....can't believe it. They'll be spraying again in another week....

[Mona Miller]

If you don't complain and tell them that they are destroying native butterflies, they will continue to do this.

The BT knocks the gypsy moths down, but they'll be back. Some of our native species get hit so hard they don't come back.

They can use a product call GypCheck. It is more expensive, but it doesn't kill butterflies or moths. We are losing our Giant Silk moths, too.

http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/morgantown/4557 ... virus.html
http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/morgantown/4557 ... pchek.html