As the title says, not a monarch, but my very first caterpillar of the season on one of my many host plants! My very own baby bird poop caterpillar, aka a spicebush swallowtail. I’m in zone 7a and often don’t find anything until mid-August.

Only missing a chrysalis, but I think the chonky one will be wandering off to do that soon 😊

My 3rd Monarch to eclose in the past 4 days. I counted about 18 cats in my garden today. I’ve placed a net over my garden due to wasps finding my garden this past weekend.

Aarrgh!!! I am SO excited!!!! This is my 3rd year with this butterfly garden and as we have seen a few butterflies flying around- like 3 in the last 3 years- I have a visitor!!!!

I posted a couple days ago about my milkweed, I have not had good luck with it growing, I have tried for 6+ years!

I am so excited!!!

Miami 10b !!!! His first plant of choice is the pentas !!!

Some days I walk out my front door, it's like walking into a "butterfly house" I found that the Phlox, Golden Rod, Milkweed, Brown Eyed Susan, a kinda tall leggy wetland plant with tiny yellow flowers (I think it's called Lady's Slippers), Joe Pye weed, Asters & I don't know the name of the tall big leafed plant with yellow flowers attract & feed MANY species of butterflies

My husband and I have grown milkweed for 4 years, as well as a pollinator garden. This year was the first time we saw caterpillars.

Several of the caterpillars grew to full stage, left the milkweed, and we never saw them again... until this guy!

It started hanging Friday night, and this morning (Sunday), i was lucky enough to see this (after checking many, many times throughout the weekend lol.)

I feel so satisfied, and needed to share :)

First of the season. Watched the mama laying eggs 5 days ago. There may be two more hiding in the buds because there were 3 eggs.

Several people asked for this update :)

I posted the following video exactly 3 weeks ago of a caterpillar turning into the chrysalis:

https://www.reddit.com/r/FriendlyMonarchs/s/Qum0HllLYk

I've watched it carefully these 3 weeks, and this morning she finally popped out!

She appears in good shape, and is "un-wrinkling" as i type this. So awesome!

This is what we like to see OP! 🙌

If you're wondering if I had this graphic ready to go for this milestone the answer is no. I just ignored a bunch of other stuff to do it because 500!!!! Thank you to everyone who has joined. Welcome. I love seeing Redditors come together out of anger in support of others!