Wouldn't you know it, I don't seem to have any late-instar monarchs right now. Oh well maybe I can find one somewhere. Wonder if queens like pumpkin?

That is very intereseting, thanks for sharing!! I wish GST's would eat pumpkin and cucumber, lol.

Don't I wish. Maybe we should offer! Offer whatever is around, see if we come up with a breakthrough discovery! Heck maybe they like cheerios, got a ton of those here!!

Yes!! It would have been such a blessing if they would have eaten cucumber and pumpkin about 3 weeks ago when I was scrounging around trying to find safe host plant leaves, lol. I love the 12 last instars I have, they aren't the least bit picky, i think they would eat cucumber or pumpkin if i gave it to them, haha. It is funny how they seem to go from being sooo picky about which leaves they will eat, to eating any leaves you give them, overnight. Or that is how mine are anyway. I cannot wait to get these six younger instars to that stage!!!!

Hmmm, I don't think they will eat pumpkin b/c they need the "milk" in the milkweed to make them taste awful to birds. My friend thought she was giving her monarch cat milkweed, but it wasn't milkweed and the poor little cat died of starvation.

Just be careful what you wish for --- it might just happen. ;)
-Jmcat

I happened to stumble on to some more related info today.

People have had success using other types of squash. Yellow summer squash, zucchini and calabaza are mentioned. Some recommend cutting the squash into squares, putting holes through the squares and then hanging the squares on defoliated stems. Some people say to feed squash/pumpkin to only 5th instar cats (said if you start earlier, cats won't pupate). Runny frass is one problem that was mentioned (tougher to keep container clean).

Something to keep in mind if you run out of milkweed.

KC