A Monarchs Life Cycle

Hey,  I'm almost getting to the point where I can start processing pictures from Snowbird 5 which we started almost 2 months ago.  So many pictures so little time.  At this rate I will need to live till I'm very very old so I can get caught up processing my pictures.   

But first, back to our backyard. 

Years ago we planted milkweed in a flower garden in our former house.  We were pleased with the entertainment provided by the Monarch butterflies, in their various forms, which eat the leaves of the milkweed plant.  First thing we planted in the new house were 2 milkweed plants, also called butterfly bushes.  Last year we had a few caterpillars gorging themselves on the young plants but this year word must have gotten out.  We lost count but estimate we had at least 50 caterpillars from late August to the end of September.  When they disappeared from the plants we started our search around the foundation, under the steps, sunroom, lawn chairs and just about any structure that they could attach to and allow the chrysalis to form and hang around till the transformation was complete.  

So here is a short pictorial of the process. 

Here is an old monarch.
The colours are faded and the wings beaten and tattered.
A trip to mexico and back will do that.
It looks like I feel some days.  

I am assuming that they lay their eggs on or close to the milkweed plants cause a short time later these fat little caterpillars start showing up.

I took tons of pictures trying to get a good closeup of their heads.
 Then I realized I was mostly getting shots of their ass end.
Turns our they have antennae at both ends of their body.
 The larger pair of antennae are at the head end.
I think.  

While they move slowly they are relentless in their pursuit of the new leaves.
They move around the plant until one day they are gone.
Then a few days later it seems a new batch appear
and start the process all over again. 

Once the feeding is done they crawl off and attach
themselves to just about any stationary object where
they can hang upside down.
As the internal chemical conversion process starts
they start to form a J.
Kind of like doing a "crunch" but holding it for a real long time.

I tried to get a shot of the metamorphisis from a caterpillar
to the chrysalis however once the process begins
it only takes a few minutes.  
On the right the black shell at the top of the green chrysalis
is the remaining skin of the caterpillar.
When its ready to come out it starts doing its version of the "twist".
Shakin all about till the shell is moved to the top and and then falls off. 
On the left is the remnants of a chrysalis which has
 "hatched" into a mature monarch.     

As the chrysalis matures it develops a hard translucent shell.
The Jade green colour is accented with black and gold.
Very pretty.

As it approaches the hatching stage you can see the
colours of the developed butterfly inside.

The ugly caterpillar becomes a beautiful Monarch.
Compare the colours on the newly born monarch to the first
picture of the older one which was at the end of its life cycle.  

They will sit around for hours after hatching.
Slowly spreading their wings to dry them and exercising their muscles.
Short flights turn in to longer ones and then they are gone.  

The Monarchs aren't the only ones attracted to the Milkweed plants.  

Thats it for the nature lesson.  Next its on to our trip south.

Till then.