butterfly eggs

[bridget1964]

I found this on the Journey North website and thought some of you would be interested in seeing the different types of eggs! I didn't know how to save it as a picture image, so I copied/pasted into a word document.

Here is the link for the website so you can read more about monarchs and other butterflies!

A Dozen Butterfly Eggs

[erictjohnson]

I just found the first monarch egg of 2010, in our yard, on a clump of Asclepias tuberosa. The flowers are green, undeveloped, this time of year. And that is where the egg was. They seem to prefer green flower clusters, when they have a choice.

[tineckbone]

Originally Posted by erictjohnson

I just found the first monarch egg of 2010, in our yard, on a clump of Asclepias tuberosa. The flowers are green, undeveloped, this time of year. And that is where the egg was. They seem to prefer green flower clusters, when they have a choice.

What part of what state do you live in? We were at the Forsythe NWR yesterday and there is a huge milkweed patch. I checked around and did not find a single egg. We have not seen any monarchs up this way yet either.

[erictjohnson]

I live in Madison, Wisconsin. I have participated in the Monarch Larval Monitoring Project for several years. This year, we had 32 milkweed come up in the spring, so we are able to attract any monarchs that happen to be flying through the east side of Madison. We usually see the first monarch in June, so I expect you will see them in New Jersey in a few weeks.

[tineckbone]

Originally Posted by erictjohnson

I live in Madison, Wisconsin. I have participated in the Monarch Larval Monitoring Project for several years. This year, we had 32 milkweed come up in the spring, so we are able to attract any monarchs that happen to be flying through the east side of Madison. We usually see the first monarch in June, so I expect you will see them in New Jersey in a few weeks.

This is Mary (Bridget1964)--I found my first monarch and eggs on Memorial Day weekend last year. I am very anxious to find them and have been searching for the past two weeks. Our milkweed is up and very tall, some of it is about to flower, too! I am hoping to find eggs soon so I can end my school year the way I started, by raising and releasing a few butterflies!

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by tineckbone

This is Mary (Bridget1964)--I found my first monarch and eggs on Memorial Day weekend last year. I am very anxious to find them and have been searching for the past two weeks. Our milkweed is up and very tall, some of it is about to flower, too! I am hoping to find eggs soon so I can end my school year the way I started, by raising and releasing a few butterflies!

Good luck on that! I'm sure you and your students would be thrilled...and what a learning experience for them--great way to get the younger generation to connect with nature. From what you write and from your blog, I'm sure you have inspired quite a few youth! Keep it up!

Aside from the potted Asclepias tuberosa that I still have in the pot, my butterflyweed that I put in the field is starting to emerge...now I'll be inspecting THEM for Monarch eggs. I'm getting excited. I'm sure I'll attract them one of these years.

[bridget1964]

Originally Posted by dapjwy

Good luck on that! I'm sure you and your students would be thrilled...and what a learning experience for them--great way to get the younger generation to connect with nature. From what you write and from your blog, I'm sure you have inspired quite a few youth! Keep it up!

Aside from the potted Asclepias tuberosa that I still have in the pot, my butterflyweed that I put in the field is starting to emerge...now I'll be inspecting THEM for Monarch eggs. I'm getting excited. I'm sure I'll attract them one of these years.

Thanks for the kind words! I hope some of what I've taught them will stay with them once they leave me. I am always saddened when they go off to the middle school. Will they keep what they've learned? Will they continue their love of the natural world once they've succumbed to peer pressure? Will they start throwing trash on the ground like the older kids do? Sigh...

As far as the asclepias is concerned, just remember: if you plant it, they WILL come!

[dapjwy]

Originally Posted by bridget1964

Thanks for the kind words! I hope some of what I've taught them will stay with them once they leave me. I am always saddened when they go off to the middle school. Will they keep what they've learned? Will they continue their love of the natural world once they've succumbed to peer pressure? Will they start throwing trash on the ground like the older kids do? Sigh...

As far as the asclepias is concerned, just remember: if you plant it, they WILL come!

I have to believe they will...once bitten by the bug they will continue their love of nature. (maybe "bitten by the bug" was a poor choice of words) I'm sure most, if not all will remember and will care. Also, you never know when something later on will spark their interest again.

I really like that: "if you plant it, they will come"! Thank you for that.

I bought that one A. tuberosa for a small bed near the house. The others are out in the field/meadow-to-be. ...and I have a couple seedlings that came up from what I planted late winter. I'm already planning on collecting seeds from all of the butterfly weed I have--more diversity. So, every year I can increase my patches without buying more. (I'll spend my money on something I don't already have.)

[tineckbone]

This is the REAL tineckbone, not the login usurper bridget1964! I hope we find some eggs soon, the school year is winding down and Mary uses them as a teaching tool that really gets everyone involved. The parents are just as excited as the students are, and I love the smell of the cut milkweed in her classroom. We found our A. tuberosa and A. incarnata in an area we used to call "the wilds" in the yarden. It has really taken off this year even though my big dog decided to lay in it, it looks great!