Tarev, looks like you've got a boy there so don't expect eggs quite yet (if you were expecting them) but good to see the Monarch!
I went out this morning to pick some pellitory for the Red Admiral cat. A cold front came through so it was really nice outside today. A little cool, even. Here's a picture of the Red Admiral chrysalis. See how it has a little gold on it? Cool, huh? You know, the word chrysalis is based on a Greek word meaning "gold" because of the gold on the chrysalises of various species (but I suspect the Monarch is the inspiration). Incidentally, my name is based on a Greek word meaning "dark" or "black". Note that the chemical that makes your skin darker (whether because of your race or if you get a tan) is called melanin. See, you learned something new today!
The Duskywings usually don't eat the jatropha but I think this one was just basking.
I have a Monarch, too! And I'm pretty sure mine's a boy, too.
The Gulf Frit was basking, too. It was a little cool this morning, no kidding!
Now, this afternoon the family went to see "Godzilla". It was AWESOME! But I really need to start carrying my camera in my purse again because when we came home I had another Swallowtail on the plumbago! Luckily, this one waited while I ran through the house and grabbed my camera. It was an Eastern Black Swallowtail! Only got one good picture, though.
And here's a Monarch that just molted on one of the columns of my house. You can see the stem of the plant is right next to it. I've seen some people confused when they see a just-molted caterpillar so here's a picture of what it looks like. I remember one person had a Gulf Frit, I think, and they thought one cat had eaten another one and I was like, "No, that's just it's old skin!" Most caterpillars don't eat each other - except for Zebra Swallowtails. I can't decide if they're aggressive or just dumb but they will attack each other. I can never keep too many in one container and I have to separate them by size. And you know, it's the medium-size ones that are the meanest! They chill out once they get big; it's weird.
