Frozen Monarch Caterpillars

[Tarantuloid]

I have milkweed planted all my yard, which attracts the attention of the monarch butterfly. Usually it's warm here in or extremely hot all year, but this week the weather decided drop down to freezing. I came back from work and noticed there were monarch caterpillars all over the ground. I thought they were dead, but I took them inside and kept them in a spare mantis terrarium and warmed things up a bit.

Surprisingly, after about 10 minutes they flipped over and started moving again, climbing to the top and eating milkweed leaves I brought inside. Does anyone here know if they can withstand freezing temperatures? It was kinda shocking they went from laying upside down on the ground to back and fully functional after the temperature changed.

 

[ShredderEmp]

So the global warming caused polar vortex hit Texas too huh. When will people realize.

Since they are cold blooded and insect and arachnids are pretty tough, it doesn't surprise me that they can survive that. Granted you probably saved their lives, but they probably could have survived for a short time.

 

[viper69]

So the global warming caused polar vortex hit Texas too huh. When will people realize.

Since they are cold blooded and insect and arachnids are pretty tough, it doesn't surprise me that they can survive that. Granted you probably saved their lives, but they probably could have survived for a short time.

Monarchs are bad? The word infamous? Is there something about them that is negative?

There isn't global warming, it's cold at the South Pole!

 

[oooo35980]

Monarchs are poisonous because all they eat is milkweed. Not sure why they would be infamous though. Probably not a good T food.

 

[Spepper]

I've heard of someone taking a live housefly, putting it in water and freezing it solid, and then when they thawed the ice the fly got up and crawled away.

 

[ShredderEmp]

I don't know what viper69 means, so I'm not going to start anything.

 

[Biollantefan54]

Shredder, he was kidding lol, hence the smiley . And yes, monarchs can withstand very cold temps. I saw a documentary on them and wherever they fly to, sometime along the way or when the get there, they huddle in trees, millions are there. They all hibernate for a few months in freezing temps and they stay warm by moving together. It was really cool to watch haha.

 

[nurunuru]

I'm not familiar with the Monarch caterpillar's freeze-thaw capabilities, but are you familiar with Pyrrharctia isabella, AKA the Woolly Bear? Up in northern climes they can freeze during the winter and thaw out in the spring and get back to eating. If there's not enough food about for them to get the energy to pupate, they'll keep on doing this for years and years until they can finally move on to the imago form.

 

[Tarantuloid]

I'm not familiar with the Monarch caterpillar's freeze-thaw capabilities, but are you familiar with Pyrrharctia isabella, AKA the Woolly Bear? Up in northern climes they can freeze during the winter and thaw out in the spring and get back to eating. If there's not enough food about for them to get the energy to pupate, they'll keep on doing this for years and years until they can finally move on to the imago form.

I was curious, I know the adult butterflies can withstand some pretty cold temperatures, I wasn't sure if the caterpillar phase was different or not. lol as far the "infamous" definition, I was trying to type "famous" on my phone and misspelled it so it changed it to infamous. I guess they have come here to eat the living!

 

[viper69]

Monarchs are poisonous because all they eat is milkweed. Not sure why they would be infamous though. Probably not a good T food.

Yeah I know, but wasn't sure why they were infamous. There's a butterfly which mimics the look of them avoiding it protection from predators.

Shredder, he was kidding lol, hence the smiley .

Thanks man, I though it was obvious when I put the emoticon that I was..I guess not.

 

[Spepper]

as far the "infamous" definition, I was trying to type "famous" on my phone and misspelled it so it changed it to infamous.

Don't ya just love spellcheck sometimes? I for one don't always relish its "help".

 

[viper69]

Don't ya just love spellcheck sometimes? I for one don't always relish its "help".

Hahah that's funny! When I first read the post, I thought "this guy must these butterflies", but saw you saved them haha..

 

[bugmankeith]

I live in the North and late pupating caterpillars could rarely experience temporary freeze so I guess its a survival tactic but only temporary freeze I don't think they could live if more than a day of this.

 

[Smokehound714]

Monarchs DO actually have a high tolerance for freezing temperatures. In their overwintering locations in southern california, it still freezes, and you can find them in big clusters on a single tree in a park, or wilderness area. populations have different overwintering sites. Some will overwinter around gardens in temperate areas that grow large amounts milkweeds, and skip the migration process altogether, too.

 

[bugmankeith]

Monarchs DO actually have a high tolerance for freezing temperatures. In their overwintering locations in southern california, it still freezes, and you can find them in big clusters on a single tree in a park, or wilderness area. populations have different overwintering sites. Some will overwinter around gardens in temperate areas that grow large amounts milkweeds, and skip the migration process altogether, too.

The adults do, were talking about the larvae.

 

[Smokehound714]

The adults do, were talking about the larvae.

Well, as indicated above it appears the larvae do, too.