"Desk Top Monarch" Hatches from Cocoon

A while back we had Monarch caterpillars spinning their cocoons on a stand of Milkweed in the yard.

Here's a shot of one such chrysalis:
One of those caterpillars didn't quite understand the concept of attaching to something before "going full-cocoon".
I was waking through the yard and found his cocoon, just lying on the ground.

I was afraid he might get stepped on, so I put the cocoon in a cup and placed it on my desk.

For about ten days, I watched for signs of development.
Eventually, I noticed a change in color.
As the chrysalis became darker, I began to see black and orange colors showing through.
Then, one day last week, I noticed that the cocoon had broken open.

I placed the cup out in the sun and took the following four photos:



Then I placed him on a Milkweed plant and took photos while he unfurled his wings and filled them with epoxy-like fluid.

Notice in the next photo how the wings are small and shriveled and the Monarch's abdomen is enlarged.
When butterflies and moths emerge from a cocoon, their wings are loose and need to be...well...for want of a better word - "inflated".
So the abdomen, which is full of fluid,
pumps that fluid into the veins of the wings.

The fluid hardens in a matter of hours, like epoxy, and the butterfly or moth is ready for flight.

Take a close look at the Monarch's wings in the next shot, and you'll see the veins, which are black, filled with fluid.
The butterfly now waits patiently for his wings to dry before flight.

So after our "Desktop Monarch" had completed the wing-drying phase, he seemed reluctant to fly.
I'm guessing he needed some extra energy.
I sure would after such an ordeal.

So we decided to move the butterfly to a Penta plant that is popular with butterflies in the yard.
My eight-year-old daughter was tasked with the job of butterfly moving.

Amazed at first.

Smiling for the camera with her new buddy.

Notice the two black dots on the lower wings?
Those are scent glands that only male Monarchs have.
They attract female Monarchs.

A butterfly also makes a nice broach.
Just ask my daughter.

Here's our "Desk Top Monarch" on a Penta plant.

He spent the night there, but in the morning he was gone - probably out there using his scent glands to find himself a date!