Here is an example of a larva going through its instar. You can see the larva at the bottom has shed its skin (the black blob at the top of the larva). It will now eat that skin (gross!) then return to eating the milkweed.
I saw an adult Monarch fly through my garden today! He/she did not stay long. It was captured (and quickly released thankfully) by a mother bird trying to feed her babies. Although I have been commending that mother for being such a good bug catcher and taking such good care of her young, imagine my horror when she caught that Monarch! Hopefully, she quickly realized that the Monarch was poisonous and will not try to grab one again!
I saw an adult Monarch fly through my garden today! He/she did not stay long. It was captured (and quickly released thankfully) by a mother bird trying to feed her babies. Although I have been commending that mother for being such a good bug catcher and taking such good care of her young, imagine my horror when she caught that Monarch! Hopefully, she quickly realized that the Monarch was poisonous and will not try to grab one again!