We found a tagged Monarch today.

[kbaumle]

While on the way home to Northwest Ohio today, from Winterthur, Delaware, my mom and I stopped at the Flight 93 memorial in Shanksville, Pennsyvania. While at the memorial chapel, my mom noticed a Monarch lying on the ground by the memorial monument. She picked it up, then noticed it had a sticker on it. I know she needs to call the 888 number on it, but is there a way to report the finding online?

[kbaumle]

I also wanted to say that I've got several Monarch cats right now in my garden, on a butterfly weed plant. Also, some Eastern Black Swallowtail cats, as well as a few very small cats that I have yet to identify. Those are both on the parsley.

I've had MANY Monarchs in the last month especially, but always some even in early summer.

Here is a picture of one of the cats, taken on August 18th:

[Gwynne]

Very nice picture! As for the parsley, as far as I know, only black swallowtails use that as a host plant in the east, at least. Unlike the monarch, the black swallowtail caterpillar changes color. It goes from black with a white band when they are small to having black, green, and yellow when they are older than a week.

[kbaumle]

Here's a picture of the swallowtail cat on the parsley:

[kbaumle]

Now, here is my rue, with two kinds of cats on them. Or at least I think it's two different kinds. There is the larger one in the middle, and if you can see them, there are two very tiny ones on either side of the picture, which are very hairy and have a white band in their middles. Do you know what these might be?

[Lindabird]

Kbaumle:

All of the caterpillars in the picture are Swallowtail. The small ones will look just like the big one in a week to 10 days. They are so pretty. Your pictures are beautiful.

So many people have told me their parsley plants have been covered in caterpillars this year. I probably have at least 75 eggs in my parsley right now.

I thought the Monarchs were done laying eggs, but I decided to check again today and see if I found anything......SURPRISE......I found 56 new eggs! I thought it was about over......do they ever quit laying eggs?

I think I need to release my butterflies in someone elses yard. I think they are hanging around and mating!!

Linda

[kbaumle]

Thanks, Linda! After I posted that, I kind of wondered if they might not be the same.

My butterfly weed, which is quite small (first year plant, grown from seed), had four Monarch cats on it at one time about a month ago.





I still need to know if I can report the tagged Monarch finding online...

[kbaumle]

I e-mailed our find.

[ohiomonarchmama]

I happened to see your post and got goosebumps that you found the monarch at the memorial. Do you know what the number on the tag is? I have tagged about 85 in the Cleveland area, but had 5 special ones I released at our school's 911 memorial ceremony (tags HBS856 thru 860). Wouldn't it be strange if it was one of them? My numbers so far have been HBS 800 through 885. I only have 15 tags left and have been holding off on netting some of the wild ones. I have 2 more chrysalids and then I am done for the season, I guess! Heavy sigh!

[kbaumle]

It was HVG966. I hope we find out where it was released. I'm sure they will let my mom know. I'll post it here when they do.

[ohiomonarchmama]

Good luck...I hope you find out! It's a long winter for us taggers to wait and see if any of our babies were found, and nice if we happen to see one in a post like yours!

[JBowers]

Kbaumle, Where are you in NW Ohio??
Your photos are fantastic! What camera, etc did you use. You are so lucky to have so many cats on your plants!
I am now catching wild ones. Though I do still have about a dozen reared chrysalids yet to hatch. My goal (tags) is to use all of my 300 tags! I was able to reach that number last year.
Good luck with your number.
Jill
West Central Ohio

[kbaumle]

I live about halfway between Paulding and Van Wert, in Paulding county.

And look what we found munching on our small tulip poplar tree tonight! Not happy about it, although I know they (Tiger Swallowtail) like them a lot. I moved them to a birch tree that is much larger and can survive losing some leaves. We found three of these on that little poplar!




I use a small Pentax Optio SV for picture-taking. Thanks!

[JBowers]

WOW! I live in Auglaize County! We'll have to get together sometime - to tag some "wild" ones.
Another great pic!
I have never found a swallowtail CP! Do wish I could find a Cecropia (sp) caterpillar though. They are such a beautiful moth.
Oh, well, maybe next time.
Keep sending those great pics.
Love it,
Jill

[kbaumle]

Jill, this is the first time I've ever seen a Monarch cat, an Eastern Black Swallowtail cat, or a Tiger Swallowtail cat. I'm not that into butterflies (yet!), but I AM into gardening (recently - in the last two years), and butterflies go along with that! I'm sure that's why I've got so many butterflies all of a sudden. This summer was the first 'real' year for my garden, which is quite large and has a big variety of things in it. Veggies, herbs and mostly flowers, both annuals and perennials. I've enjoyed the butterflies and hummingbirds all summer!

[Gwynne]

That is funny because I got into gardening because of butterflies. I only have a meager little garden to boast and no butterflies came calling this year. I only have a balcony to work with.

[kbaumle]

And here we are!