A New Female Monarch (butterfly, that is)

[mhardy6647]

DSC_6647 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
DSC_6673 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
DSC_6678 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
DSC_6679 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
DSC_6681 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
DSC_6691 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
DSC_6693 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
DSC_6700 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

 

[airdronian]

Excellent !

 

[GuyK]

Very cool! How long did it take to emerge from the chrysalis?

 

[mhardy6647]

it was amazingly quick. We knew it was close (the chrysalis color changes from green to... well...compressed monarch. We checked on it several times today.

At one point, I saw that the outside was crystal clear, grabbed the camera & snapped two photos, then realized that a slit was opening on the left side. I ran around to our porch to tell my wife it was emerging; when I got back, it was out (thus the 'distant' image of the freshly emerged adult).
The wing 'inflation' takes 20 or 30 minutes; and the drying another hour or so. It flew away after I took the last photo (didn't get a photo of this one "on the wing", unfortunately).

 

[thin_ice]

Awesome pics and documentation, thanks for sharing!

No butterfly pics, but I have had anywhere from 1-6 praying mantises outside my office window (in the H.S. I graduated from) over the last couple of weeks. I have a "wall of windows", an overhanging roof (protection from elements), and outdoor lights that attract bugs. It appears they just chill and wait for food. Sorry my photography skillz are not up to par. Too much caffeine .

 

[MrEd]

Awesome pics and documentation, thanks for sharing!

No butterfly pics, but I have had anywhere from 1-6 praying mantises outside my office window (in the H.S. I graduated from) over the last couple of weeks. I have a "wall of windows", an overhanging roof (protection from elements), and outdoor lights that attract bugs. It appears they just chill and wait for food. Sorry my photography skillz are not up to par. Too much caffeine .View attachment 16424View attachment 16425

That last picture makes me think of a 60's horror movie... as he attacks the police car.

 

[mhardy6647]

My praying mantis story. When I was in grade school, someone brought in a praying mantis egg case, on a twig. Must've been late winter or early spring because, sometime during the Easter/spring vacation/break, the little mantises (mantii?) emerged. We came in to school the next week to tiny, dead praying mantises everywhere in the classroom

The kind of stuff of which memories are made.

Praying mantises are really cool. 'specially the really big ones, such as the one shown above.

 

[MrEd]

My praying mantis story. When I was in grade school, someone brought in a praying mantis egg case, on a twig. Must've been late winter or early spring because, sometime during the Easter/spring vacation/break, the little mantises (mantii?) emerged. We came in to school the next week to tiny, dead praying mantises everywhere in the classroom

The kind of stuff of which memories are made.

Praying mantises are really cool. 'specially the really big ones, such as the one shown above.

I bought a car out off a junkyard to build into my first stock car.
While in my garage a million little mantis hatched out. They were everywhere. )