Danaus plexippus - final eggs hatching!

Watching tv and working on homework just now, I decided to check if I needed to change leaves for the monarch. Quite to my surprise, the two remaining eggs that I was planning to watch hatch early next morning were already in the process of doing so! One had already emerged, eaten its shell, and was looking around for a meal. The other had only just begun munching his way free. Thanks to my camera and a magnifying lens, I've been held spellbound watching him. A really fun ending to something of a difficult day.

Muching a hole in the shell

Climbing out - I love how you can see the bite marks in the shell!

Eating the shell - an initial protein source. Wonder how they know?

My mom was asking me today, after looking at some photos, just how small these little guys really are (she won't actually look at them herself, and in any case I won't let anyone else near them). To give you an idea, I took this reference photo. The cat to the right is a new hatchling, and the one to the left is just a couple days old.

Keeping in mind that in a few weeks, these tiny guys will have become this:

Cool, huh? :)