Ancestors

Written by Zhi Zhu 🕸️ on 2025-01-21 at 00:02

I love my Hubby.

As he was driving, he noticed a caterpillar on his sleeve that undoubtedly came from one of the butterfly weed plants overwintering in our garage. So he turned around and called me so I could help him put the caterpillar back on the plant.

Realistically, the late caterpillars (and chrysalises) will most likely not survive till spring, but it's still awesome that he will go out of his way to try and help them survive, even with such long odds.

[#]Nature #Caterpillar #Winter

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Toot

Written by Zhi Zhu 🕸️ on 2025-01-21 at 00:10

Here's a larger photo of some of the plants in our garage.

I put a red arrow pointing at the caterpillar returned to one of the leaves on one of the butterfly weed plants. If you look closely, I think you can see the little stripey larva hanging on to the leaf.

[#]Gardening #Winter #Caterpillar

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Descendants

Written by Zhi Zhu 🕸️ on 2025-01-21 at 00:14

Here's one of the chrysalises, probably from a Queen butterfly, that is attached to one of the butterfly weed plants. When we first moved the plants in, there were quite a few chrysalises, but several of them have since died (turned black or brown instead of bright green). This one is obviously still viable. But who knows if it will make it till spring.

[#]Gardening #Nature #Bugs #Butterflies

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Written by 🍋 Superball ☀️ on 2025-01-21 at 01:37

@ZhiZhu

That looks like a monarch chrysalis! They turn dark right before they hatch! The caterpillar in the first image in the thread also looks like a monarch.

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Written by Zhi Zhu 🕸️ on 2025-01-21 at 02:48

@superball

Queens are very similar to Monarchs, but I'm pretty sure these are Queen caterpillars and chrysalises. That's what I've been seeing.

https://www.wildflower.org/magazine/fauna/monarch-vs-queen

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Written by 🍋 Superball ☀️ on 2025-01-21 at 02:51

@ZhiZhu

Oh wow, I didn’t know there were any others so similar—except for viceroys! Thank you! 🙏🏼🧡🖤

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