Using a macro lens on an iPhone and a whole lot of patience I captured a detailed video of a Monarch caterpillar as it emerged from it’s egg. And it’s AMAZING.
That’s right. A Monarch Project Update. I’ve decided to make this whole saving the Monarchs project official with its own dedicated space on The Art of Doing Stuff and catchy title.
For those of you who took it upon yourselves to raise a Monarch butterfly, I’ve come up with The Monarch Project. A little endeavour to raise awareness about how the Monarch is in decline and how easy it is to raise one to help ensure the species lives on.
If you wanna raise a Monarch (cause they’re way easier to raise than kids) you can see all my tutorials on it here.
Yeah, I know. Sounds very humanitarian, save the world kind of stuff. The sort of thing Angelina Jolie or George Clooney are likely to be interested in.
That’s enough about that.
I wanted to update you on my own Monarchs. At this very moment I have a tiny 2 day old caterpillar, a 4 week old caterpillar and a chrysalis. I brought an egg in for my sister who wanted to give them to a friend to raise. However that friend was busy the weekend the eggs were to hatch, so we left them here and I hatched them. Well, technically I didn’t hatch them, I mean I didn’t have to squat over them or anything. All I really had to do to ensure they hatched was not throw them on the floor and stomp on them.
I took a peek at the egg a couple of days ago and I could see by the way it was dark at the tip that it was seconds away from hatching. So I grabbed my iphone, the egg and the milkweed it was on and ran outside.
I managed to get a video of the entire thing. The caterpillar nibbling its way out of the egg and emerging for the first time into the world.
Here it is. Even if you don’t want to raise a butterfly, this is a great video to watch. I felt very Wild Kingdom doing it.
Monarch Caterpillar Emerging from Egg
Join the Monarch Project. Learn the whys and hows of raising a Monarch butterfly.
Wanna know how I got such a close up video on my old iPhone? I happen to have a few jewellers loupes for some reason. It’s from back in the day when I was a jewellery thief. I ran back inside and got one and just put it in front of my iPhone lens when I was shooting the video.
It worked great. I have a little macro lens that slips onto my iPhone but it wasn’t letting me get close enough to the caterpillar. That’s when the idea of the loupe came to me. All of this transpired in about 1.2 seconds by the way because I knew I didn’t have much time or I’d miss the whole event. And by now we all know that an event not captured on video is only imaginary.
Which is why I proposed all cameras be banned from George Clooney’s wedding.
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Cool video! I tried to grow a monarch….found the caterpillar, she ate, she grew, she hung and started to turn
Green, but had a funny black dot on her and then nothing, she died :( I think it was oe spore. Want to try again but can’t find an egg or caterpillar. Hopefully next summer.
Great Video…thank you!
Thanks Phyllis! ~ karen
On the hunt for milkweed this week! When do the Monarchs start to migrate? Is it still early enough to find an egg and raise it to adulthood?
I think you are a magnificent human.
Oh my. Well, thanks Mayr. I’m actually kind of sarcastic and blunt. But I can be magnificent too, lol. ~ karen!
Perhaps the sarcasm and bluntness just exudes from the magnificence….like a body can only hold so much. In any event, I’m pretty sure we all think you are magnificent. I remember “growing” monarches as a kid with my mom’s help. Apparently, she was far beyond her time….who knew??
There were’t any eggs on the milkweed I let grow near my yard (I think because of reading here a few years ago that it was the only thing Monarchs eat) but I do have a swallowtail caterpillar happily munching away on my parsley =)
Really cool video!
Cool video!
I watched the series on raising your own monarch, maybe I should go watch them again…but I just don’t recall you saying when eggs should appear on the underside of milkweed. Ive been checking periodically but nothing yet. I live in Eastern Ontario. Do the monarchs lay all summer? I saw a monarch yesterday. But it was probably only the 2nd one I’ve seen this year.
That silly Cuddles and her heirloom tomatoes…she’s no dummy!
And we haven’t talked about her poop lately. Is it better?
Hi Tracey – It’s still egg season. ~ karen!
that’s cool.. I have planted milkweed to help the cause .., but have not seen any monarch’s this yr :(
How long of a “season” do they have? I went away to Europe after your first posts and figured I’d be too late when we got back so I didn’t go out to check our milkweed. Might there still be eggs on there? Or would I be able to find caterpillars to bring inside to raise still? I’m in London ON.
There will still be eggs Beth W. Start lookin’. ~ karen!
Just moved to Niagara this summer but I haven’t found any milkweed on our property…I did find two dead monarchs in the garden. Any idea where I can dig up some milkweed so I can try this next year?
Roadside, abandoned parking lots, railway tracks … those sort of places. ~ karen!
Love this. Promise to post on my page where all of five people will see it! Lol. Thanks Ellen…I mean Karen. Missing butterflies..
Timing is everything! You’re just like Marlin Perkins but with an iphone. And a loupe. Good job.
“I’m Ellen Degeneres.”
Just more proof that watching your videos WITH the sound on is worth the risk of possible cardiac arrest from having the crap scared out of you.
I appreciate you championing this cause. Monarchs are quite amazing once you get to know about them. The migration they do is quite epic.
Go Cuddles!
Glad to hear Cuddles is holding her own. Why should she eat pellets when she has all the other wonderful goodies??? She may be saying “Pellets…. Ick. All this special food……. YUM.”
Would love to be part of the Monarch project but it’s just not possible in central Alaska. No milkweed. No Monarchs……
Love your blog!
What an amazing thing to watch after my s#*tty shift. Thanks for this– you are amazing and at least as tenacious as the little caterpillar. How can I help the cause and raise one? I have seen a half a dozen this year despite the fact my garden is nothing but weeds this year.
So awesome.
Seemingly not content with merely improving her own little corner, Karen has now decided to tackle saving the entire world. (I’m fairly sure she’ll succeed.)
*This* is definitely Stuff worth Doing! :)
I raised one set of Monarchs a few years ago. I cannot remember if it was that series of posts or your backyard that brought me here. BUT I have expanded my planting of butterfly weed every year since then and nothing.
On the other hand, i have raised multiple generations of black swallowtails on my dill plants.
This fall, I will expand my monarch butterfly weed planting AGAIN. because I really do care.
I LOVE this! What is the best month to find monarch eggs?
It depends on where you are Kimber. But in Southern Ontario it’s usually July and August. :) ~ karen!
I did not realize that monarchs were that close to extinction. Thank you, Karen. As usual you totally rock!
sorry/not sorry LOL when you post on twitter # her!..and i feel like a proud auntie watching it emerge haha
Glad Cuddles continues to mend. We are all emotionally invested in your life and pets/animals in a weird non stalker-ish kind of way
No video – how’s cuddles doing?
ARggg! Sorry video’s up now. ~ karen! Cuddles is cuddling. Still not eating as well as I would like. Just won’t eat her pellets.
Me four with the video saying private. Hope you can resend it. Ditto on an update for Cuddles!
LOL. Up and running now (both cuddles and the video). So sorry! ~ karen
Thanks Karen, video is too cool and well done!! I hope Ellen calls you for a spot on her show!! Stayed up way late Friday night to watch the Secret Sisters! (No I do not have a PVR had to do it the old fashioned way and just stay awake!! )Loved them and will watch for them from my vantage here in Beautiful BC.
Unfortunately, when I click the video it says “undefined”.
More importantly, is Cuddles still improving? I so need a happy ending for a pet this year (not to make it all about me, of course).
Cuddles is the same as yesterday. Well but not eating her pellets unless they’re softened in water. Video’s up! ~ karen
oops, says the video is private..I am doing monarchs this year as well!
Good for you! Saving the breed one pair of wings at a time. Video’s up now. Sorry! ~ karen
Oh no the video link doesn’t work. :( It says it’s private.
Private no more Mel. It’s up. :) ~ karen