I've been doing some public programs about monarchs lately. This is the time of year that we can start tagging monarchs since from here on the monarchs that hatch will be migrating to Mexico. At some point in the program, someone usually says something about seeing "baby monarchs." The idea that a butterfly will hatch out at one size and then grow larger is something people don't seem to think is odd. Yet, if you think about the metamorphosis that butterflies go through, you'd realize that a butterfly emerges at the size it will be for the rest of its life.
So, what are the "babies" that people think they are seeing? Well, there are several butterflies that look similar to monarchs. There is the American Copper, the Meadow Fritillary, the American Lady, Viceroys, and the Tawny Emperor.
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Meadow Fritillary
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Painted Lady
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Viceroy
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I suppose if you glimpsed one of these butterflies, you might think it was a monarch - just a small one. But now you know better!
This is the time of year that we can start tagging monarchs since from here on the monarchs that hatch will be migrating to Mexico. monarch paxar 1131
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