Released 4 healthy Monarch females this morning

[texas butterfly]

All seemed to fly toward mornings rising sun.

Also, released 3 Queens. Two of them were weak looking.

I'm just learning, so maybe they didn't get enough milkweed. Maybe they ate too much dry milkweed.

For future, I'm really going to try to get the cats in a tent with fresh milkweed plants that are actually stuck in water. It seems these catepillars that had more access to fresher milkweed and didn't run out into between grew faster and bigger.

[NickiM]

This is really late, but...

Congratulations!!!! Just looking at these beautiful creatures makes me smile. One of my friends asked me why I was raising the butterflies. My answer, "Why not?"

[Mona Miller]

Thanks for replying, I didn't see this one.

This is why I planted seeds early in the spring and then transferred the seedlings to tubs. Now, I have plenty of fresh milkweed. I've been pulling these into my tent, letting the Monarchs lay, and then covering the eggs with a sleeve. Do try to make sure there are no predators. This can be hard. I've lost so many butterflies to tiny spiders, who later I was able to see because they ate my caterpillars.

[David Calhoun]

I released my first adult yesterday! I took her picture soon after she unfurled her wings, and she
peed a bunch. She did it twice more. (Maybe two drops each time.) I was a bit concerned,
but then I read that monarchs will release a fluid as a defense mechanism (if picked up). Was
that it ?( She flew away fine.)
No eggs, Nothing younger than a 4th instar on my plants-I guess the season is winding
down.

[Mona Miller]

After they inflate their wings, there is a meconium that they release. It is redish in color.

http://www.mymonarchguide.com/2008/08/l ... stars.html
"At last, a gorgeous butterfly ecloses (emerges) from the chrysalis. Since Monarchs are large butterflies, it will take several hours for the wings to harden. If you spot any reddish or brownish liquid nearby, don't worry as this is meconium and is simply waste material from the pupa. It is NOT blood! Butterflies do not have 'blood' but have what is called hemo-lymph (in case you are truly interested)."