Monarch Butterfly Ember

by Jill Love

Title

Monarch Butterfly Ember

Artist

Jill Love

Medium

Photograph - Photograph

Description

Our garden milkweed produces monarch butterfly eggs, caterpillars, and chrysalides that ultimately become butterflies after metamorphosis.

Its orange wings are laced with black lines and bordered with white dots. It is a milkweed butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is the most common North American butterfly, and is considered an iconic pollinator species. Its scientific name is Danaus plexippus.

We secure the very small caterpillars in a container and feed them, watching them grow and making their change. The best part is once the butterflies emerge, they have zero fear of humans. So I am able to photograph them for quite some time before they go off on their journey.

There are four generations of monarchs in a season here in Michigan. And it is usually only the fourth generation that flies south to Mexico for the winter. My grandchildren and I have learned a great deal in the process and do all we can to aid this species' plight.

Our granddaughter said we have to give all the caterpillars 'gender fluid' names because we don't know if they are males or females until the butterfly emerges. The spots on the lower inside wings indicates a male. No spots indicates a female. This is Ember. She is a female.

It is a great hobby to take up to learn, enjoy, and aid the species in survival.

Uploaded

July 8th, 2021

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