When you have unwelcome wild visitors in your garden, your first instinct may be to grab some pesticide. But not all insects pose a threat to months of hard work. One Redditor shared a photo of a gigantic caterpillar that isn't as scary as it seems.
In a Reddit post, the user shared a photo of the giant monarch caterpillar clinging to a plant in their yard.
Monarch caterpillars are known for their distinctive vertical stripes that are black, white, and yellow-green. It is the larva stage of monarch butterflies that is the developmental stage before butterflies become adults.
Monarchs spend about 7 to 10 days in the larva stage before transitioning into a chrysalis. After 10 to 14 days, it will metamorphose into a beautiful orange butterfly.
While other larvae like hornworms can wreak havoc in your garden, monarch caterpillars are typically harmless. They tend to eat only milkweed during this stage of their lives. Your fruits and vegetables will be safe from these gentle giants.
Monarch caterpillars are harmless creatures if you find them hanging out in your garden. And once they transform into butterflies, they will support your garden and the environment.
Butterflies are pollinators. They eat nectar and pollen from flowering plants and transport pollen from flower to flower. Plants need pollen to create fruit or seeds, and they often cannot reproduce without pollen.
About three-fourths of all flowering plants depend on pollinators to reproduce. This includes about 35% of food crops, which could include the fruits and vegetables in your garden. Butterflies ensure plants reproduce and thrive while securing human food supplies.
As for this gargantuan caterpillar, fellow Redditors were intrigued in the comment section.
"I've never seen anything like this," one Redditor wrote.
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