Chrysalis 13 days after it first formed.  The Monarch emerged about 1 hour after this photo was taken.  I raised Monarchs last year and took these photos then.

Monarch shortly after it emerges from the chrysalis.

Medium sized Monarch Caterpillar the still needs to go through more molts to reach full size.

Monarch chrysalises.  A friend of ours has been finding eggs(not easy) and has raised many Monarchs this year.  Still quite a few caterpillars around that will be the generation of Monarchs to fly to Mexico.

BUTTERFLIES ON OUR PRAIRIE AUG. 25, 2016

Silver-spotted Skipper on Mt. Mint.  A fairly small, and uncommon butterfly.  This week the Mountain Mint appears to be the favorite pollen producer for the butterflies on our prairie.

Fritillary on Mt. Mint.  We have several species of the Fritillary family.

Black Swallowtail on Mt. Mint.

Monarch on Mt. Mint.  The Monarchs are now in migration to Mexico.

Crescent Butterfly

Many Green Darner Dragonflies working our grasslands today.  They, like birds, also migrate south, but little is know of their migration patterns.

Black Swallowtail Butterfly

Tiger Swallowtail on Cup Plant.

Ambush Bug on Early Sunflower.

Ambush Bug attacking bee.

Red Admiral on Rough Blazing Star

Cream Gentian

Tiger Swallowtail on Rough Blazing Star, Lake Louise St. Park, LeRoy, Mn.

Nodding Wild Onion

TOUGH WEEK?

If you think you had a tough week, take a close look at the wings on this poor old swallowtail.

This Cicada had just crawled out of the grub exoskeleton on the left when I found it this morning.  The adult Cicada is about 1.5 inches long and will soon be in the tree tops on loudly buzzing away on hot August days.

MORE PRAIRIE FLOWERS

Cup Plant

Ironweed

Prairie Blazing Star

Early Sunflower

Hoary Vervain

Young Grosbeak after a dip in the birdbath.

Female Hummer on our lily,

Monarch.  Got this shot this morning.  Many Monarchs are mating at our place now.

Buckeye butterfly.  I have read that these migrate up into Minnesota in the summer.  They are about 2/3 normal size this year.  I have observed that later hatches tend to be larger in many butterflies.

Tiger Swallowtail on our lilies. The butterfly numbers are down from last year.  Too much rain???