Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE) is a debilitating protozoan parasite that infects monarchs. Infected adult monarchs harbor thousands or millions of microscopic OE spores on the outside of their bodies. When dormant spores are scattered onto eggs or milkweed leaves by infected adults, monarch larvae consume the spores, and these parasites then replicate inside the larvae and pupae. Monarchs with severe OE infections can fail to emerge successfully from their pupal stage, or once emerged have severely deformed wings.
If cared for in a cage and fed a simulated nectar formula, this victim could live out its life, but otherwise its fate has been determined.
This was one of three I witnessed, so the spores are present now in the clump of milkweed.