Monarchs in December?

By Susan Andersen 

​I live in the Winterhaven Village Townhomes, between Country Club and Cactus Blvd, North of Prince.  Our white-walled compound has been softened with the drought tolerant plantings along Cactus and Prince, so pretty.

We are deep into winter now, but not too long ago while it was still warm, I came back from a walk down Cactus with a purloined piece of the wild milkweed vine.   I planted it in my back yard and it took off up the wall.

One day around early November a Monarch caterpillar was munching its way through most of the leaves.  It seemed so late in the season for this.

​Day after day, there it was munching away, getting bigger and bigger.

It getting so cold at night, I thought surely it would die off.  Obsessively I checked on it every day, well really several times a day.

Mid-day on Nov 7, I noticed it had moved into that characteristic ‘J’ form- going to pupate!!! 

​Within 1 1/2 hours the beautiful chrysalis with gold sparkly trim had been formed.

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Then when I did think it had died, November 28, the chrysalis started to darken. 

Decomposing maybe??  But, NO. 

Through the dark chrysalis I could see the pattern of the wings.

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​Obsessively again, I checked it every day as the nights got cold and colder and colder.

​2 days later there was the newly emerged Monarch Butterfly, fat bodied, crumpled wings, crimped antennae.  It wriggled and stretched and slowly expanded it wings.

​I turned my back for 1 hour, when I came back she (no spot on the hind wing) had flown the coop!  Off she goes, I wish her well!  Mexico !!!  Pismo Beach !!!  Pacific Grove !!!

Fun Fact

• ​Monarch butterflies communicate with scents and colors. The males attract females to mate by releasing chemicals from scent glands on the hind wings. Monarchs signal to other animals that they are poisonous by having bright orange wings. The bright colors serve as a warning that predators should attack at their own risk. (National Wildlife Foundation website)

More Information on Monarchs

World Wildlife 
www.worldwildlife.org/species/monarch-butterfly

National Wildlife Foundation
​www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Invertebrates/Monarch-Butterfly

Monarch Butterfly Life
monarchbutterflylifecycle.com/blogs/raise/male-or-female-monarch-butterfly-pictures