Sunapee NH

[neily42go]

I was away this past weekend but was told by someone that was on the chairlift at Mount Sunapee that they spotted a Monarch flying around the Mountain.
I went hunting yesterday and found 1 egg and 1 cat 1st instar.
Didn't find much but this is a good sign for the area. Last year due to the wet weather we had very few monarchs in the area. Woo Woo

[Mona Miller]

You had mentioned earlier that you found eggs. Do you know what milkweed they were using?

[neily42go]

They were on common milkweed.
In NH, we don't typically see anything but common milkweed.

http://www.google.com/search?source=ig& ... oEBU_QXkVZ

[Mona Miller]

According to "The Monarch Butterfly" by Dr. Fred Urquhart, you could find:
Asclepias incarnata (swamp), tuberosa (butterfly weed), exaltata (Poke), amplexicaulis (blunt leafed), and purpurascens (purple), in NH.

[neily42go]

There may be other types of Milkweed in the New England/NH area but I typically see common milkweed as the prominent plant for laying eggs and typically on smaller plants. I've purchased seeds in years past of other varieties and planted them not resulting in eggs being laid.

Why the question?

[dandjtaylor]

I, as well, here in Salem, MA, scower the wild areas for eggs and have only come across purple and, more "commonly", common. The only swamp and butterfly I have ever seen are in my own garden.

Dwayne Taylor
Salem, MA
Waystation #2638

[Mona Miller]

I've seen swamp, purple (but it got destroyed by a development), butterfly weed, and four-stem milkweed (quadrifolia), plus vining milkweed. But, I've taken some wildflower classes and been to lots of areas in Virginia with experts.

http://www.biol.vt.edu/digital_atlas/
Virginia has a new digital atlas.

http://www.biol.vt.edu/digital_atlas/in ... &do=search
Here's a list of our Asclepias. If you click on the name, it will give you a state map and if you cursor over the county, it will list the county. A naturalist friend showed me this. I wish every state would do this.

[mommalepapillon]

Hey neily! Glad to see you back on and saving the monarchs! I too am hoping that the Monarchs will return... My milkweed is again this year proliferate!! Just waiting for the one my neighbor saw up the road here on the Newbury/Sutton NH line to mosey on down my way!! Good Luck!

[neily42go]

I found more yesterday.
Four on 103 along Wendal's Sugar House, one on Bradford Road and two at the circle. I've not seen one butterfly yet but at least there are eggs and early : >

[neily42go]

So things are looking better. After way too much hot weather we finally received rain. Some of the milkweed where I found original eggs was looking pretty sad but it's now looking better.

I was also upset that milkweed that I found eggs on last week had been mowed down by the town. AUGH.

I currently have 1 cat in it's final stage, 10 eggs and 20 cats in different stages.

[neily42go]

Banner day today in Sunapee.
I know have a Chrysalis. My daughter is the Ecology Director at a YMCA camp in the area. I'm going tomorrow to do a talk on Monarchs. I went to a friends house today that is located on the old King Ridge Ski Area. Wow, jackpot. Many eggs and cats in several stages. Left most of the eggs and will go back next week. Took cats in several stages so I can show each instar.

Unlike last year, this year is turning out to be a BLAST.