After I spent some time at home, I came back to the Iowa State campus to continue with raising monarch butterflies and caterpillars in one of the campus buildings. Here it is, the middle of June. All the grad students and student workers have not found very many monarch eggs or larva out in the field. We have seen some adults, but very few eggs and larva. I don't know for sure, but the snowstorm that went through the overwintering ground in Mexico in late February or early March may of had a bigger impact then we originally thought.
We have had our fair share of headaches lately. Our equipment in the building has been having problems lately. As soon as we get one problem fixed, it seems that another one pops up.
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Sunday, May 1, 2016
Monday, April 18, 2016
Logging in Mexico
Logging in the monarch's overwintering habitat has also lead the species to decline. The area is threatened to forest degradation by both legal and illegal logging, land conversion for agricultural fields, and climate change can all negatively affect the oyamel firs in which the monarch butterflies overwinter in. The oyamel firs protects the butterflies over the winter from precipitation and really cold temperatures.
Logging in Mexico has taken away trees that the monarchs need. To help with this problem, in 1996 a Mexican nurseryman by the name of Jose Luis Alvarez Alcala was starting to grow tree seedlings to help with the reforestation effort. A lot of logging was happening because local needed to get wood for cooking, burning, and building homes and fences. They planted some of the seedlings in the actual forest, and they also talked to some farmers about planting trees on their land for the locals to use as they needed. In 2008, they estimated that this project has planted almost 4 million new trees!
Some cool facts about the monarchs and their Mexico habitat:
After traveling up to 2,500 miles, the butterflies arrive in Mexico on or close to November 2, which is Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead (a festival to remember loved ones who have passed on).
Both events have happened together for so long, many local people close to the forest believe that the butterflies carry with them the returning souls of their ancestors.
Their winter habitat in Mexico wasn't know to the outside world until the winter of 1975-76 when it was discovered by two Canadian scientists.
Overwintering Habitat Loss. (n.d.). Retrieved April 18, 2016, from http://monarchjointventure.org/threats/overwintering-habitat-loss/
Sill, S. (n.d.). Reforesting Michoacán | American Forests. Retrieved April 18, 2016, from https://www.americanforests.org/magazine/article/reforesting-michoacan/
Logging in Mexico has taken away trees that the monarchs need. To help with this problem, in 1996 a Mexican nurseryman by the name of Jose Luis Alvarez Alcala was starting to grow tree seedlings to help with the reforestation effort. A lot of logging was happening because local needed to get wood for cooking, burning, and building homes and fences. They planted some of the seedlings in the actual forest, and they also talked to some farmers about planting trees on their land for the locals to use as they needed. In 2008, they estimated that this project has planted almost 4 million new trees!
Some cool facts about the monarchs and their Mexico habitat:
After traveling up to 2,500 miles, the butterflies arrive in Mexico on or close to November 2, which is Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead (a festival to remember loved ones who have passed on).
Both events have happened together for so long, many local people close to the forest believe that the butterflies carry with them the returning souls of their ancestors.
Their winter habitat in Mexico wasn't know to the outside world until the winter of 1975-76 when it was discovered by two Canadian scientists.
Overwintering Habitat Loss. (n.d.). Retrieved April 18, 2016, from http://monarchjointventure.org/threats/overwintering-habitat-loss/
Sill, S. (n.d.). Reforesting Michoacán | American Forests. Retrieved April 18, 2016, from https://www.americanforests.org/magazine/article/reforesting-michoacan/
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Milkweed and Insecticides
Milkweed is very important for monarchs. It is the only plant that the larvae can eat. The female monarch will lay her eggs under the leaves of milkweed plants. After the caterpillar hatches, it will eat different parts of the milkweed plant until it is a big caterpillar and it is ready to turn into a beautiful butterfly.
Insecticides are another reason for a decline in monarchs. Unfortunately, insecticides are incorporated into GMO crops. Since monarchs have a preference to feed on milkweed plants found in agricultural fields, the pollen from GMO crops that are growing nearby can fall on the milkweed plants and affect the monarch caterpillars.
Researchers found found that monarch caterpillars exposed to a dose as low as 1 part per billion can have some affect on them. The effects that they observed in the caterpillars were caterpillar weight, caterpillar size and caterpillar survival. They also found the lethal dose (where you would expect 50% or more of caterpillars to die) to be 15 parts per billion.
Latham, J. (2015, April 4). New Research Links Neonicotinoid Pesticides to Monarch Butterfly Declines. Retrieved April 12, 2016, from https://www.independentsciencenews.org/news/new-research-links-neonicotinoid-pesticides-to-monarch-butterfly-declines/
Insecticides are another reason for a decline in monarchs. Unfortunately, insecticides are incorporated into GMO crops. Since monarchs have a preference to feed on milkweed plants found in agricultural fields, the pollen from GMO crops that are growing nearby can fall on the milkweed plants and affect the monarch caterpillars.
Researchers found found that monarch caterpillars exposed to a dose as low as 1 part per billion can have some affect on them. The effects that they observed in the caterpillars were caterpillar weight, caterpillar size and caterpillar survival. They also found the lethal dose (where you would expect 50% or more of caterpillars to die) to be 15 parts per billion.
Latham, J. (2015, April 4). New Research Links Neonicotinoid Pesticides to Monarch Butterfly Declines. Retrieved April 12, 2016, from https://www.independentsciencenews.org/news/new-research-links-neonicotinoid-pesticides-to-monarch-butterfly-declines/
Sunday, April 3, 2016
Herbicides and Milkweeds
Herbicides are killing milkweed plants. Farmers often spray the herbicides around their crops to get rid of weeds that can compete for resources with their crop plants. Here's why this is really bad: monarchs seem to prefer milkweed plants that are in or close to agricultural fields.
A study done in 2001 found that more than 80% of the monarchs in the Midwest were feeding on milkweed plants in agricultural fields. Since 2001, milkweed plants have basically been eliminated from agricultural fields because of herbicides and because of planting more corn and soybeans that are genetically modified to be resistant to the herbicides. The loss of milkweed plants has caused a decline in monarch population.
Agricultural fields is just one important habitat that monarchs and milkweeds have. The other important habitat is roadside areas. It is very important that transportation department officials be informed about how herbicides and mowing practices can be harmful to milkweed plants and the monarchs.
Kniss, A. (2014, February 10). Are herbicides responsible for the decline in Monarch butterflies? Retrieved April 3, 2016, from http://weedcontrolfreaks.com/2014/02/are-herbicides-responsible-for-the-decline-in-monarch-butterflies/
Pleasants, J. (2014, June 6). Monarch Butterflies under Threat from Rising Herbicide Use. Retrieved April 3, 2016, from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/monarch-butterflies-under-threat-from-rising-herbicide-use/
A study done in 2001 found that more than 80% of the monarchs in the Midwest were feeding on milkweed plants in agricultural fields. Since 2001, milkweed plants have basically been eliminated from agricultural fields because of herbicides and because of planting more corn and soybeans that are genetically modified to be resistant to the herbicides. The loss of milkweed plants has caused a decline in monarch population.
Agricultural fields is just one important habitat that monarchs and milkweeds have. The other important habitat is roadside areas. It is very important that transportation department officials be informed about how herbicides and mowing practices can be harmful to milkweed plants and the monarchs.
Kniss, A. (2014, February 10). Are herbicides responsible for the decline in Monarch butterflies? Retrieved April 3, 2016, from http://weedcontrolfreaks.com/2014/02/are-herbicides-responsible-for-the-decline-in-monarch-butterflies/
Pleasants, J. (2014, June 6). Monarch Butterflies under Threat from Rising Herbicide Use. Retrieved April 3, 2016, from http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/monarch-butterflies-under-threat-from-rising-herbicide-use/
Thursday, March 3, 2016
Who are the Monarch Butterflies?
Who are the monarch butterflies? Well, let me tell you a little bit about them.
When you hear someone say monarch butterfly, you can probably pull up an image in your mind of what they are talking about. Monarchs are one of the most widely recognized butterflies in America. As a species, they face many problems.
Adult female monarchs will lay their eggs on milkweed plants. In a few days, the baby caterpillar will emerge from its egg and eat the leaves and other parts of the milkweed plant. Milkweed plants have toxins inside of them, so as the caterpillars eat the plant, they store the toxins in their body. The bright orange color in adults tells predators that they do not taste good because of all the toxins stored inside of them. Adults are able to drink nectar from different flowers. They do not rely solely on milkweed plants for food as adults.
Monarchs make a long migration to their winter home. Most people know of the monarchs migrating down to Mexico, but there is also a population that migrates down to southern California. Over the course of one summer, monarchs have four different generations. The first three generations usually live between 2 to 6 weeks. The fourth generation can live up to nine months! This is the generation that will make the migration to Mexico or southern California.
Basic Facts About Monarch Butterflies.(2012). Retrieved March 2, 2016, from http://www.defenders.org/monarch-butterfly/basic-facts
When you hear someone say monarch butterfly, you can probably pull up an image in your mind of what they are talking about. Monarchs are one of the most widely recognized butterflies in America. As a species, they face many problems.
Adult female monarchs will lay their eggs on milkweed plants. In a few days, the baby caterpillar will emerge from its egg and eat the leaves and other parts of the milkweed plant. Milkweed plants have toxins inside of them, so as the caterpillars eat the plant, they store the toxins in their body. The bright orange color in adults tells predators that they do not taste good because of all the toxins stored inside of them. Adults are able to drink nectar from different flowers. They do not rely solely on milkweed plants for food as adults.
Monarchs make a long migration to their winter home. Most people know of the monarchs migrating down to Mexico, but there is also a population that migrates down to southern California. Over the course of one summer, monarchs have four different generations. The first three generations usually live between 2 to 6 weeks. The fourth generation can live up to nine months! This is the generation that will make the migration to Mexico or southern California.
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