Monarch Caterpillar/Butterfly (Danaus plexippus)

The Monarch Caterpillar photograph on the main ecosystem page was taken at the end of August in the garden outside our hoop house. These caterpillars are adapted to feed on milkweed plants, which are considered their host plant. This means it serves as the sole source of food for the caterpillars. Once they become butterflies, they feed on a variety of nectar sources.

In mid August I brought an armful of dried cilantro plants in from the hoop house to harvest the delicious coriander seeds. I was surprised and delighted to find a monarch chrysalis attached to one of the cilantro plant stems—it looked like a delicate piece of jewelry. We do have milkweed growing along the sidewalls of the hoophouse so the caterpillar must have crawled to the nearby cilantro to pupate after fueling up. I returned the the cilantro plant and attached chrysalis to a hidden, protected area in the garden near the hoop house. One day soon after, I found the chrysalis empty. I had missed the emergence! We do see monarch butterflies around the farm, but I never seem to have my camera in hand when we meet. I will add a photo of the butterfly eventually, but this unexpected chrysalis was too good not to share now.

*US Fish and Wildlife Service has put forth formal proposal in December 2024 to list the Monarch as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act but protections will not apply until the final ruling.