Monarch butterfly NymphalidaeIntroduced to the Hawaiian IslandsOahu, Hawaii, USAA caterpillar feeding on Crown flower (Calotropis gigantea), a very large relative of milkweeds.There appears to be a love or hate affiliation with Crown flowers and Monarch butterflies, with some opinions straddling the fence. People who grow crown flowers for lei or merely as a landscape plant, understandably, do not want the caterpillars eating their plants. Those that love the Monarchs do not want to see them destroyed. But like it or not, Crown flower is a favored food for Monarch butterfly caterpillars in Hawaii. Untreated plants usually receive extensive damage to foliage. nativeplants.hawaii.edu/
These butterflies were captured at the near end of the caterpillar stage from the High Tech High Native Plant Garden. In all stages you can find monarchs on or around milkweed. These butterflies had just hatched so they were in the processes of drying their wings so they could fly. This observation is apart of the High Tech High Insects of San Diego Field Guide.