Blog | My Monarch Guide

If you discovered a tiny cream-white egg on a milkweed leaf, then you have probably found a monarch butterfly egg. In about 4 days (or less), a caterpillar is going to hatch and soon, you will be watching the life cycle of the gorgeous monarch take place. Raising monarch caterpillars into butterflies is a surprisingly …

Insects are amazing tiny creatures and are often overlooked. Are insects animals or something else entirely? Insects are animals because they meet the taxonomic classification for the animal kingdom. These characteristics include: respire with oxygen, feed on organic material, motility, sexual reproduction, and are multicellular. There are more insects on Earth than all other animals …

Insect anatomy is wildly different than our own. They have exoskeletons around their organs, instead of an endoskeleton. You may wonder how different other aspects of their anatomy is. Do insects have hearts? Here’s more about insect hearts and how their circulatory systems work. Do Insects Have Hearts? Insects do hearts, and they are a …

If you see a squished bud, its insides won’t look red but green or yellowish. Do insects have blood? Instead of blood like humans, insects have a similar but distinctly different fluid. Learn about bug blood and about the insect circulatory system. Do Insects Have Blood? Bugs have a substance called hemolymph, which serves similar …

Syrphid flies are beneficial garden insects. Their larvae eat both insects and fungi, depending on the species. And adult hover flies are proficient pollinators around the earth. You will commonly see this tiny fly collecting nectar on flowers in your garden. Adult hover flies collect both pollen and nectar. And hover flies are one of …

As you plant and cultivate milkweed, you’ll find that there are some common problems. A healthy supply of milkweed leaves is important for both attracting monarchs and for raising them indoors. Common milkweed leaf problems include pests (like aphids, beetles, and milkweed bugs), powdery mildew, leaf spots (fungal and bacterial), rust, and cucumber mosaic virus. …

Milkweed is probably best known as the sole host plant for monarch butterflies. But milkweed is also on the menu for many other insects and mammals. Milkweed nectar is an important food source for many species of bees, moths, butterflies, skippers, and beetles. Milkweed plants and flowers attract clouds of pollinators and pests. Some insects …

What are those bugs in your milkweed garden? Are milkweed bugs ‘good’ or ‘bad’ bugs? Why are they only on milkweed? If you found long red and black bugs, then you probably found one of two types of milkweed bugs. There are two types of milkweed bugs: Large Milkweed Bug (LMB for short) and Small …

My caterpillar hasn’t been moving. What’s wrong? Is it dead? Should I move it to another leaf? Put something else in there? HELP! I’m frantic! I’m in a panic! Okay, it is time to relax! That’s right. Relax. Breathe. Chances are that your caterpillar is ready to molt. Shed its skin and change instars. It …

The tachinid fly is one of many beneficial insect predators in your garden. But they are also harmful to monarchs. But if you are raising monarch caterpillars, the tachinid fly is an enemy. Tachinid flies lay their eggs on monarch eggs and caterpillars. Once the egg is laid, that monarch is as good as dead. …

If you’ve been learning about raising monarchs, you’ve probably heard of the monarch parasite: OE spores. In this article, you’ll learn what OE parasites are, how they affect monarchs, and how they are transmitted. What Are OE Parasites? Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE) is a protozoan parasite that affects monarch and queen butterflies. OE protozoan is a single-celled …