Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

19th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Monarch Butterfly's first flight.

My husband and I had placed 2 Monarch caterpillars in a jar with some milkweed leaves to watch their progression. This is the second one that broke out of its chrysalis. When we saw that it had broken through, we took it outside near some alfalfa which we thought it could feed on until it was strong enough to fly and find its own food source. This photo captures its first flight. We named it Alfalfa.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 08.2021
Date Uploaded: 11.2021
Photo Location: Bismarck, North Dakota, United States of America
Camera: NIKON D3500
Copyright: © Tricia Bentz