Mom Said, Go Forth, Eat, Poop, and Be Free

This past month has been extremely busy for me, but I was happy that I was still able to go and wander among the milkweeds, stand on my head and search for Monarch caterpillars on what is left of the end-of-summer plants.  In the last 2 weeks, I've found 27 caterpillars so far.  One disappeared, apparently, becoming an appetizer for an older caterpillar (or as my husband calls them, "worms") that I had in the same container.  Another lesson learned - put the teeny, tiny fellers in their own containers!  One died while trying to shed his skin, so I currently have a crop of 25.
After losing 6 out the first 9 that I found much earlier this year, I learned another lesson; separate them into smaller groups, just in case you do develop a case of "Black Death".  This disease is rather nasty and can spread quickly, killing most of your cats if you're not careful.  So, while I do have one of these Monarch enclosures (http://www.livemonarch.com/store_enclosures.php) (the ones showing as "sold out" are listed as $1000 - this is incorrect and I've let the webmasters know that price will scare the highlights out of some people's hair!), I am still using containers to group them into small groups, by age, so that my first instar cats don't become an appetizer for a fourth instar.

With plenty of fresh food that I'm supplying them with (sometimes twice a day!), they are growing quickly.  I am so excited!

My only one in pupa stage right now.

 I am fascinated by the little gold flecks on the chrysalis.  A very appropriate color for what's inside though - pure gold.

8/13/2015-Guy/Gal #1

8/15/2014 - Guy/Gal #1, 2 days later with his new suit and definitely having a bad hair day.

See the little legs in the skin he shed (pic above)?

8/13/2015 - Guy/Gal #2 - shed his skin a day earlier (on side of tissue).

8/15/2015 - Guy/Gal #2 - ready to do it again, and he did 2 hours later.

With every 'shed' / instar their antennae are definitely growing too!

8/13/2015 - 6 Guys/Gals - 2nd Instar aren't those little trails so cute?!?

I love the adorable little trails that they leave as they munch, and munch, and munch their way through each leaf.  Even their frass is cute at this stage!

8/13/2015 - 6 Guys/Gals- 2nd Instar - different view.

I think the 6 Guys/Gals are writing hieroglyphs in their leaves.  Maybe it spells, "more fresh leaves, please!"?

8/15/2015 - 6 Guys/Gals - taking much bigger bites now.  Num, num, num!

8/15/2015 - 6 Guys/Gals - the rest of the gang (Mr. Bashful is on the back of the leaf).

8/15/2015 - These guys are new additions.  One is guilty of eating a first instar and won't fess up.

 One of the new additions above ate a first instar and won't fess up.  My fault, lesson learned. 

8/15/2015 - Bright & shiny after adorning his new coat this morning.

8/15/2015 - Found this guy yesterday on a plant that I had missed in my previous searches

8/15/2015 - I have 12 of these little first Instar guys now.

 It's difficult keeping track of the first instars.  I thought it would be easy to put them in a Tupperware container and they would stay put.  Last night when I did my last check, there were 2 missing.  I looked under the paper towels and under the container.  Finally, I saw one of them climbing the house wall and fetched him up with a small paintbrush and put him back on his leaf.  I found the second one this morning in a container with another single cat.  Guess he decided to go keep his neighbor company?

8/15/2015 - A couple more of the 12 little guys (2 more on the back).

Each day, I get up, fetch new leaves, wash them, then check my guests' health as I replace their leaves and their bedding.