Life Cycle of A Monarch
METAMORPHOSIS
1. In the spring, the female adult monarch butterfly will lay its EGGS on the undersides of leaves on the milkweed plant. These eggs typically hatch 3-4 days after they are laid.
2. Once the eggs are hatched, the baby CATERPILLAR will eat its shell as its first source of nutrients as it enters the world. The caterpillar will start out as small as 2-6mm and grow as big as 25-45mm when full grown! As the caterpillar grows through its 5 instars (phases between periods of molting), it sheds its old skin, and eats it in order to grow and maintain its health through its stages of development.
3. Once the caterpillars are fully grown, they enter the PUPAL stage. Once the caterpillar is ready to pupate (form its chrysalis), it will attach itself to the underside of milkweed leaf by spinning a silk pad in which the caterpillar will attach its cremaster to. A cremaster on a caterpillar is a hook, or bundle of small hooks located at the rear end of the caterpillar, used to stay attached to the leaf when in its chrysalis. The caterpillar will stay in this stage for 10-14 days.
4. Once the monarch BUTTERFLY has hatched out of its chrysalis, it is already a full grown adult. Its wings will need to dry out before gaining full strength to fly. Once the butterfly is in its prime form, it will nourish itself by consuming nectar from flowers through the taste receptors on their feet.
Monarch Migration
Unlike some butterflies, monarch butterflies are unable to survive cold winters, therefore they need to MIGRATE to warmer areas. The butterflies that spend their winter in the mountains within central Mexico are the last generation of monarchs in their migration cycle. This cycle happens every year. The majority of these butterflies begin their lives in the northern region of the US/southern Canada, and will then migrate hundreds of miles down to Mexico during the winter. Once the chilly season has passed, and spring time creeps in, the monarch butterflies will lay their eggs in the southern area of the US/northern Mexico. This restarts the whole cycle once again!
Just like your grandmother gave birth to your mother, and your mother gave birth to you, monarch butterflies do the same, but in a much faster cycle! There are FOUR GENERATIONS of monarch butterflies per year. Each generation lives a different lifestyle when it comes to migration and reproduction.
Research credit: Ava Bellis
Monarch Care Matters
A monarch egg has about a 3% chance of survival in the wild and almost 100% when raised by human foster parents.
Research credit: Lily Bellis
How to Grow Common Milkweed from Seed
By: Kyle Lichtenberg, Botanist
Milkweed is the host plant of the monarch butterfly. A host plant is a specific plant that certain insects or butterflies depend on to complete their lifecycles from egg to caterpillar on to adults. This means that growing milkweed is one of the most important ways people can help in the recovery of monarch butterflies. Fortunately, common milkweed is incredibly easy to grow!
Follow these simple steps to grow common milkweed (Asclepia syriaca) in your gardens and landscapes.
1. Pick an area that receives full to partial sun.
2. If planting in an existing garden bed, use your hand or a small shovel to dig a very shallow hole no more than 1/4” deep. If planting in a lawn setting, first remove the sod layer from the area to be planted, and plant as noted below. Although common milkweed can grow in grassy lawns, seedlings and young plants can be outcompeted by dense turfgrass roots.
3. Scatter one to three seeds per hole, and lightly cover with the original soil.
4. If sown at the right time, there is little need to water the seeds since common milkweed is a native plant adapted to the natural climatic conditions of our region.
5. Post a flag or sign in areas where milkweed seed is planted to protect the seeds from foot traffic and to serve as a reminder to check for growth.
Tip: For best results, sow common milkweed seeds in the late fall before the first hard frost or heavy snow and allow the seeds to overwinter in the soil. Undergoing a cold, damp period of at least 30 days unlocks the seed’s built-in dormancy mechanism and will allow it to sprout the following spring. Milkweed can also be planted from seed in the very early spring so long as temperatures remain cold. If you can’t wait for fall or spring for planting, dormancy can also be unlocked in the refrigerator. Just mix the seeds with a scoop of barely damp play sand and store in an airtight bag. Store in the refrigerator for one to two months prior to planting.
Tip: Plant additional wildflower species nearby that benefit monarch butterflies and other insects. Once monarchs reach their adult stage as a butterfly, they no longer feed on the leaves of milkweed as they did when they were caterpillars. As adults, their require native wildflowers that provide them with nectar. Including native species like purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea), black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), and wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) in your monarch garden is a great and easy way to provide important resources for the monarch butterfly during multiple stages of its life. This will also increase your chances of monarch visits to your planting. Joe Pye weed (Eutrochium maculatum) and meadow blazing star (Liatris ligulistylis) are both well known for their magnet-like abilities to attract monarch butterflies. Adding additional native wildflowers also adds highly attractive colors to your garden or landscape that can be enjoyed all season long!
Types of Milkweeds
There are many species of milkweed native to the upper Midwest. Common milkweed is amongst the easiest to grow and will grow best in medium to dry soils. If you have a high moisture area such as a wetland or shoreline, swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) is a great option. Whorled milkweed (Asclepias verticillata) is a lower growing species that does best in gravelly or dry soils. Other native milkweeds can be fun to grow and will attract monarch butterflies, but they will require a bit more care to get started.