[NatureNS] monarchs emerging from chrysalises at Cambridge Station

Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2006 11:19:57 -0300
From: Jim Wolford <jimwolford@eastlink.ca>
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Sept. 19, 2006 - Yesterday evening, Allison and Larry Bogan brought a few
MONARCH CHRYSALISES to the Blomidon Naturalists Meeting, for people to rear
themselves in their homes and then release into the wild.  This morning I
tried three PHOTOS of a CHRYSALIS, from Cambridge Station, where the Bogans
have lots of wild MILKWEED and a few MONARCHS breeding every year; 2006 was
a bumper-year for summer MONARCHS all over Nova Scotia, and many dozens or
perhaps over 100 CHRYSALISES produced there this year and most of them
placed under roofs of buildings on Bogans¹ property.

Sept. 21, 2006 - On Sept. 18/06 Allison and Larry Bogan brought in about a
dozen or more MONARCH CHRYSALISES from their property at Cambridge Station,
to the Blomidon Naturalists Society meeting in Wolfville.  Several of us
each took one home, in order to later see the ³hatching² of the pupa.

Well, mine ³HATCHED² overnight and then dried its wings this morning, and
it¹s a male.

PHOTOS taken.

Later I found out that Pat found ³OUR MONARCH² still on our driveway at home
in late afternoon, and apparently it was capable of only very short flights?
So Pat put it in a planter on our porch for the night.
-----------------

MORE ON MONARCHS: Since Larry Bogan had written that at Cambridge Station
his yard still had monarchs emerging from chrysalises, and even one late
larva that had just started to pupate, I drove out there with photographs on
my mind.  Hanging on his garage under the roof and under window ledges etc.
were the following numbers of CHRYSALISES: 80 on the south side (15-20 still
³unhatched²), 4 on the west side, none on north side, and about 25+ on east
side; also there were numerous other chrysalises on the south side of their
house in on various garden plants there.  At least 5 or more of the total
chrysalises we saw had darkened or progressed to the clear stage showing the
adult monarch markings; thus more emergences were imminent.  Also there were
at least 2 ADULT MONARCHS and one that had just emerged and had expanding
wings.

The abundant COMMON MILKWEED plants there have their fruits opening and the
lovely silky seeds being blown out and away.  Also no new leaves remain for
any late monarch larvae., and most of the old leaves have fallen.

I took numerous PHOTOS but my camera needs new batteries; thus I will have
to go back tomorrow for more and good photos.
--------------------

Sept. 22, 2006 - ³OUR MONARCH² (the one I ³hatched² from a chrysalis
yesterday) was still on our porch in the morning, so Pat placed it in the
sunlight on a cedar bush.  About a half-hour later I saw it fly only about
25 metres and land on a flower in our garden.  I took another couple of
PHOTOS of it.

Cheers from Jim in Wolfville, 542-9204   

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