Teeny monarch caterpillar. Photo: Lynn Brown.

By Lynn Brown

Hello! I’m a monarch caterpillar. You can call me J.J. Legend has it that Prince William of Orange (later King William III) was so adored by early European settlers to North America that they named me in his honor. Well, not me — I’m just a caterpillar — but after my orange and very regal winged ancestors. Eventually I will be regal, too, but being newly hatched, I’m just pale gray green after leaving the egg I was in for four days (which I ate afterward, and it was delicious).

I’m incredibly lucky to have hatched under this milkweed leaf my mother glued me to. Only 5% of our species’ eggs survive in the wild. Sadly, that number is much less than it used to be. We’ve always had predators in nature — heck, even my own sibling might eat my egg if he hatches first on the same plant — but we also have human disconnect from nature to contend with, loss of habitat, chemicals, pollution and climate change. It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there!

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Speaking of eating, I’m very hungry. That tiny eggshell didn’t fill me up and I’ve much to do in the next two or so weeks! I am only 1/16th of an inch long right now; you can barely see me! Oh! Those clusters of fine hairs on the underside of this leaf look tasty. I’m too small to chew the leaf, but when I’m bigger I’ll be able to devour entire leaves! I’ll be an eating machine and I’ll be a whole two inches long by the time I pupate if I have enough fresh young milkweed to eat. I can go about 24 hours without food, but I really don’t want to. I do enjoy eating so!

Within a few days I’ll begin earning my stripes in preparation for the day that I can become regal. I’m just a first “instar” now. After this first molt, I’ll have my new striped suit of black, yellow and white bands! Some people refer to it as a clown suit, but I think it’s quite dapper. I’ll change my suit four more times in the next 2-3 weeks until I reach the rank of Five Star! Okay, it’s really called fifth instar, but it’s impressive if I say so myself.

J.J. the Insatiable Insect image is of a full grown monarch caterpillar at the tip of a milkweed plant without any leaves. They have all been eaten. Photo by Mark Videan.
Full grown Monarch caterpillar has eaten the leaves of this milkweed plant. Photo by Mark Videan.

My skin doesn’t grow. When I need a bigger skin suit, I’ll spin a pad of silk and attach my hind legs to it. Then I’ll just walk right out of my old suit and into my new one! Altogether, I do this five times, getting bigger each time. My growth spurt will be 2,000% in total. I can’t be moved while molting or I won’t be able to finish the process, I won’t get a new suit and, well, I don’t want to talk about that. So, if I’m not moving, please leave me be or move what I’m on instead. Oh, look! There’s my old skin. I think I’ll eat that too! Do you like my new suit?

It’s been a few weeks now. I’ve eaten all the milkweed I need, and I have my best suit on. I think I’ll go for a walk and find a place to rest. All that eating and suit-changing is tiresome work! Don’t worry, I’m not going far. About 15 or 20 feet. Far enough from the milkweed to avoid predators if I can. I like hanging pots, climbing vines, fences are cool, so is your house, and what a lovely garden to hang out in; that is a fine trellis you have!

Image for J.J. the Insatiable Insect shows a monarch caterpillar handing in a J-shape beneath a wooden deck with blue sky and a large tree in the background. Photo by Lynn Brown.
J.J. readies himself to become a chrysalis. Photo by Lynn Brown.

Yes, a lovely spot to rest for a spell. I’ll spin a silk mat with the spinneret under my head right here to hang from with my cremaster on my other end. 1, 2, 3! Watch me let go! Wow! It’s like being in a high-wire act! The world is upside down! Look, I can make the letter J, just like my name! This is great!

Gosh, it feels great to be off my legs after crawling and munching my way through caterpillar world. Don’t be alarmed if I just stay hanging here for the next 12-24 hours. It may be less or more, but it will be exactly how long I need. I’ll also need you to not move me right now. If you absolutely need to move me, please wait about 48 hours, after I’ve done my hokey pokey dance, swinging back and forth and in a circle to get this fine suit off, and have donned my beautiful new jade suit of armor, my next step to becoming regal. Once my armor or chrysalis (not a cocoon) has hardened, I can be moved safely if necessary. I’ll be at my most vulnerable until then.

And please do admire the brilliant golden little jewels adorning my new armor. Such finery! The word chrysalis originates from the Greek word “chrysos” which means gold. These dots provide oxygen exchange while I’m going through metamorphosis. I’ll be too busy rearranging my insides to fend off predators, and these markings also help confuse and deter them by reflecting light. You’ll know that I am almost ready to emerge from my chrysalis (eclose) when my new colors of orange, black and white are able to be seen! I’ll pop out of my chrysalis case in about 10-14 days, depending on outdoor temperatures. The warmer, the faster!

J.J. the Insatiable Insect image is of a monarch butterfly on a purple coneflower. Photo: Lynn Brown.
Monarch butterfly on a purple coneflower. Photo: Lynn Brown.

I’ll have to hang and dry my wings for a couple hours after I emerge, but I’ll be seeing you soon! Proudly showing off my spectacular colors as I majestically grace your gardens in search of blooming native nectar flowers. Make sure to have blooms for me through September. I may be a butterfly, but I’ll still be hungry and need much energy and luck to migrate back to Mexico for overwintering. I’ll be sure to tell my great-great-great-grandchildren to look you up when they return next year. Please have lots of healthy, fresh milkweed ready!

Lynn & Scott Brown, Bear Lake
Monarch Waystation 40425
NWF Certified Wildlife Habitat 294500

Learn more about monarchs and Michigan milkweed species at: https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/growing_milkweeds_for_monarch_butterflies

 

1 Comment

  1. Karen F. Reply

    “J.J., the Insatiable Insect” was a wonderful article. Please turn it into a children’s book. It was charming and informative. The accompanying pics and charts were great too.

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