Predators

Warning

SOME OF THE PHOTOS/VIDEOS WILL MOST LIKELY BE GROSS

(But it’s still part of the life cycle)

Stink bug

This stink bug poked its straw into the caterpillar’s body and is sucking up the fluid inside. (GROSS!)

Wasp

This wasp is NOT eating the caterpillar but she is cutting it up into pieces to feed her larvae. (EWWW!)

Parasitic Wasp

If the wasp in the picture to the left lays eggs in the chrysalis when it is soft, the result is many wasps will come out.

The picture to the right has MANY wasps that came out of chrisalises.

praying mantis

Praying mantises will usually eat the head first for any meal they have, but they don’t like to eat the wings.

Spider

When the monarch gets caught in the web, the spider will then wrap the monarch and the spider will inject venom from their fangs and paralyze the monarch.

picture taken by Dena Podrebarac,

University of Kansas

lacewing larva

Lacewing larvae eat aphids but if they come across an egg, they will eat that too!

Mice

Scientists discovered that Black-eared mice can eat monarchs in overwintering sites. An individual mouse consumes an average of 37 monarchs each night.

Tachinid fly

The adult tachinid fly will lay eggs on the caterpillar. As the caterpillar grows, the fly larvae grow as well! Right before the caterpillar turns into a chrysalis, they will emerge from the caterpillar.

video taken by Professor Kristen Baum, University of Kansas

Birds

Scientists have discovered that if a blue jay eats a monarch it will throw up and learn not to eat monarchs. However, orioles and grosbeaks in Mexico can eat monarchs without any trouble.

Image copyright Lincoln Brower, Sweet Briar College

https://www.sciencefriday.com/articles/the-case-of-the-barfing-blue-jay/

A surprising predator of the monarch is the dragonfly. Dragonflies eat mosquitos, flies, bees, butterflies, and other small insects.