Monarch drying wings after emerging?

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Frederica Musgrave

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Sep 8, 2025, 2:16:02 PMSep 8
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Saw this Monarch on my driveway having problems flying away. I'm assumung  it just emerged from chrysalis and was drying its wings.  I have lots of milkweed on boulevard and yard.  One side view shows rippling of wings.  From the top, I noticed something white on it's back. Anyone know what that is? I searched images online and couldn't find anything similar.

MonarchDryingWings.jpg
MonarchBack.jpg

Mike Ruzich

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Sep 8, 2025, 5:09:27 PMSep 8
to Frederica Musgrave, Ely Field Naturalists
“Tagged” Monarch?

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On Sep 8, 2025, at 1:16 PM, Frederica Musgrave <queenbuebu...@gmail.com> wrote:


Saw this Monarch on my driveway having problems flying away. I'm assumung  it just emerged from chrysalis and was drying its wings.  I have lots of milkweed on boulevard and yard.  One side view shows rippling of wings.  From the top, I noticed something white on it's back. Anyone know what that is? I searched images online and couldn't find anything similar.

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<MonarchDryingWings.jpg>
<MonarchBack.jpg>

Frederica Musgrave

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Sep 8, 2025, 9:12:37 PMSep 8
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All of the tagging info I've read after several of you replied says the tag is to be placed on the outside of the wing. Here's link to one website https://monarchwatch.org/tagging/2024-tagging-datasheet.pdf. I did not want to touch or capture the Monarch. 

On Mon, Sep 8, 2025 at 1:16 PM Frederica Musgrave <queenbuebu...@gmail.com> wrote:
Saw this Monarch on my driveway having problems flying away. I'm assumung  it just emerged from chrysalis and was drying its wings.  I have lots of milkweed on boulevard and yard.  One side view shows rippling of wings.  From the top, I noticed something white on it's back. Anyone know what that is? I searched images online and couldn't find anything similar.

cashmanellen595

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Sep 9, 2025, 8:51:59 PMSep 9
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Usually the tags are a very small round tag that I have seen used and on the hind wing.
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