Milkweed and Monarchs, 2016
I had a false alarm in 2015, something that looked like milkweed, that also got eaten, but turned out not to be the real thing.
In 2016, though, did find a couple of caterpillars. And in early October, a couple of monarchs
By the end of summer they all looked like this, covered with a web and crawling with small larvae of some kind. Similar to gypsy moth, but more spread out and the little crawlies are smaller and different. No longer sure if this was really the milkweed associated with monarchs, though, since these did branch quite a bit. In any case, saw no sign of monarchs that year, 2015.
Monarch caterpiller chowing down on milkweed
Two days later sill at work. I presume the brown pellets are the output at this stage.
something ate the monarch caterpillers
No sign of a chrysalis (sp) or in fact that much chomping. Only this plant and one other had a couple of the caterpillers. Both have the ravaged top with some partially eaten leaves underneath. Also deposits of what I think would be caterpiller scat.