Another Question about Monarch caterpillars

[<hacbac]

I counted 13 monarch larvae on our milkweeds the other day. Now I only see one. Where the heck do they go? They seem to disappear when they're fully grown, but I don't see any chrysalises anywhere. Thnx

Barb C

[Beecrofter]

Wasps

[<hacbac]

What do wasps do to them?

Barb C

[Mike LaMana]

They sort of go up and down the stem..hide on other plants...move back to feed. It is odd. You know your really cool when you have monarchs caterpillars, the milkweed tussock moth, and the milkweed cerambycid beetle all at the same time. Now there's a lofty perch!

[<hacbac]

Thanks Mike. I feel better. BTW I spend a lot of summers at Seaside Park. Love the area.

Barb C.

[Mike LaMana]

Look me up! We can look for caterpillars - my 4 year old is a champ!

[Michelle]

[<hacbac]

We have those type of wasps here in Florida, but they don't seem to bother the monarch larvae, just the big ugly plant eating lime green ones. In fact, we're always told not to kill these caterpillars because the wasp larvae will do it for us. The wasps here are supposed to be the "good guys". or so I've been told.

Barb C.