Black Dots on Monarch Pupae

I've seen a few Monarchs today, which is about three weeks early for our area of Virginia. At Monarch Watch, Ann made an interesting observation in the lab this week concerning the black dots that appear close to the cremaster on a monarch pupa. The cremaster is the black “stalk” that attaches to the silk pad spun by the caterpillar prior to pupation.

See the graphic that shows how you can tell whether a monarch is male or female while they are still in the pupa. Read the entire article.