Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

  Sighting 1028610

Observation date: March 15, 2015
Date notes: Exact time of photograph; individual was directly observed from around 2:50 to around 3:30 pm.
Submitted by: The_Battus_philenor
Specimen type: Photograph
Observation notes: Female; observed ovipositing on milkweed shoots. As the plants were very low to the ground, the butterfly often oviposited directly onto the stems of the plants, rather than on the leaves; one egg was laid on a dried oak leaf by mistake. A total of over two dozen eggs were laid in the area, including instances of multiple eggs on the same stem within <1 cm of each other. The butterfly likely left from its overwintering site much earlier in the year than normal due to the warmer weather, and therefore likely did not find as many instances of growing hostplants to lay on. As the eggs would likely not develop into surviving caterpillars in a completely natural scenario because of the lack of ample food (these eggs were laid in a garden under human supervision), this is another example of how climate change could continue to hit hard on certain butterfly populations.
Status: Migrant
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: March 16, 2015
Coordinator notes: None.
Checklist region(s): United States, California, Butte County