Hello again. Question about late caterpillar

[Vulgaris]

Hello again people of Monarch Watch. It has been a while.

This year was not a very good one for the monarchs in my area. Usually they are all over my milkweed but this year I only saw a few.

Recently I found a large caterpillar on the milkweed... the only one. I kept it in a cage for a few days and it has now cocooned.

Is this too late for the thing to migrate on time? I live in central Pennsylvania. I feel really bad for it. But I am sure keeping it in a cage all winter is worse than releasing even though it probably will not make it

I will be sure to let you know when it hatches Will probably feed it sugar water and send it on it's way to Mexico like I did with the one last year. and I hope there are more next year

[Mona Miller]

I saw one gliding over Hawk Mountain, PA on November 4. Let it go and wish it well.

[Vulgaris]

Thanks for your reply.

I spotted a cocoon hanging from the siding of my house today. looks relatively new. Hope this one makes it too.

[Mona Miller]

Monarchs are amazing creatures. If there is a way to make it, they will.

[Vulgaris]

It brightened my day today to come home and find this

She will be on her way to Mexico in no time!

***[why is it cutting off my photos?]

[Wyvern]

the photo is too big. many forums have a physical size limit in addition to a file size limit. Your photo may be within the file size limits but not necessarily within the physical size limits. I always try to resize my photos to about 640 x 480 pixels before posting them online... saves a lot of grief.

[Vulgaris]

Ahhhh I see
I hope this one shows through

I was wrong, by the way. Its a boy!!!

And I also have another one coming soon. There is a chrysalis attached to the side of my house, right next to my front door! If thats not a good omen than I don't know what is. That one is due any day now

[texas butterfly]

Still warm enough in Texas. Still have egg dumping going on.
So if he can make it to Texas we've got lots of warm air and winds from the North to help push him down to Mexico.

Lots of people are putting out their fall nectar plants.

How many inches across is that boy? Looks like a a healthy boy.