Monarch Caterpillar Early Instars * Danaus plexippus
Insect and Arthropod Photography
Finding the beauty around us - Image Showcase
Monarch Early Caterpillar Instars on Milkweed
Original image 30.4 Mp - Cropped image 3792 x 2938
Follow the Monarch Life Cycle - Monarch caterpillars develop quickly. One day you look at eggs and a week later there are a rainbow of caterpillars. Most likely a Cat 1 caterpillar was hiding in the foliage when the eggs were first checked. The length of the antennae are the easiest way to separate the levels of development. With each transformation the caterpillars get more sensory ability. The pace that they consume a milkweed plant is increasingly astonishing. The next stages of caterpillar life are even more entertaining to observe. Cat 4 and Cat 5 Monarch Caterpillars get longer antennae and a lot of other sensory appendages.
Photographs by Martin Fletcher
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Last modified: July 31, 2025