Remember Mother Monarch ? https://silkannthreades.wordpress.com/2013/01/08/royalty-arrives/
Her offspring are growing rapidly and will soon be ready to leave the nursery. Here are some of her growing brood. I think the family numbers a dozen or so. 
© silkannthreades
silkannthreades 
What wonderful photos you have captured. With this long spell of hot, dry weather I have finally seen some Monarch butterflies. We don’t have any swan plants so I don’t think I will see any caterpillars. We used to have lots of the plants and watched many, many butterflies emerge. It is such a magical process to watch and learn from for all ages.
I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will see butterflies emerge eventually. This is the first time I have planted swan plants in my garden.
When the children were young we would bring in the twigs with the cocoons on them and shelter them indoors until they emerged. It was a wonderful process to watch and then allow the butterfly its freedom out the open slider.
That sounds like an excellent idea. The caterpillars are getting thoroughly drenched today but we needed the rain so badly.
Watching butterflies go through metamorphosis is simply fascinating! While out on a hike with my students we found a caterpillar on and fennel plant. I dug up the whole plant and brought it back to school and we watched it turn into a chrysalis and then into a butterfly. The kids were fascinated with watching it go through the various stages, especially the final stage when it became a butterfly…a beautiful Anise Swallowtail. The markings on it are very similar to the Monarch but they are yellow instead of orange.
How lucky yo are to have been able to see all of the stages!
I am glad you mention your school experience because, watching my caterpillars, reminds me of the caterpillars I watched in class as a very young student. Your pupils will most likely remember the Anise Swallowtail and the fennel plant for the rest of their lives. Hooray for teachers and the experiences they give to their pupils!
How lovely! 🙂
The caterpillars are absolutely stunning – how much of your plant have they eaten? They look a greedy bunch! A gardeners worse nightmare usually, especially if you are growing vegetables! Cath
They are being very modest in their consumption. So far have only munched the tips. They will only eat the swan plants so if they run out the caterpillars will just die, sadly. So far, so good.
Oh I didn’t know that, what a shame – I’ve never heard of a swan plant, does it have another name?
Mmmm…. I think it may also be called a milkweed plant or be one of the milkweed family. I am hopeless at remembering plant names!
Ok, will Google it! Thanks, Cath