Danaus plexippus
Why winter?
Winter is the time to find the biggest numbers of monarchs at the overwintering sites. We choose to go to the overwintering site at Grover Beach, although there are other sites along the coast.
What’s a pollinator?
A pollinator is anything that helps carry pollen from the male part of the flower (stamen) to the female part of the same or another flower (stigma). The movement of pollen must occur for the the plant to become fertilized and produce fruits, seeds, and young plants. Some plants are self-pollinating, while others may be fertilized by pollen carried by wind or water. Still, other flowers are pollinated by insects and animals – such as bees, wasps, moths, butterflies, birds, flies and small mammals, including bats. (NPS)
Life cycle
Host species and nectar species
The host species for the Monarch is milkweed. This means the caterpillar phase of this insect requires milkweed to survive. Nectar species are just as important, however- as that’s what the butterfly needs to survive! Planting a butterfly garden that has native milkweed as well as other native flowers is great for promoting monarchs. (Tropical milkweed is not native, narrow-leaf milkweed is native.)
Migration
Pismo is home to many an overwintering monarch. Some hail from Canada! Others are locals. Not all butterflies migrate.
Mating
Mating takes place seasonally and can be dangerous for monarchs. We’ll see this at the grove. The male pulls the female to the ground for about a minute (easy prey, easy to get stepped on), she decides if she’s in or not- if so, he carries her off into the sunset!
Females can mate several times and create more eggs.
Numbers
They are changing based on a variety of factors including weather and previous generations. This year’s monarch count is right around 19,000.
Threats
Habitat loss, Genetically modified crops, lack of crop rotation and variety, pesticides, climate change
Future?
Some steps to recovering the western monarch population in the short term are to protect and manage California overwintering sites, to restore breeding and migratory habitat in California to protect monarchs and their habitat from pesticides. Should you rear them? The latest Science says no. Butterflies raised in protected environments do not seem to have the same navigational ability as those in the “wild”. (wikipedia)
What can you do?
Car discussion: what can you do to promote the monarch in your backyard?
Terms To Know:
Metamorphosis– Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops including birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal’s body structure through cell growth and differentiation.
Migration– the seasonal movement of animals from one region to another.
Endangered Species- An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and invasive species.
Aposematic– a bright display of contrasting colors to warn potential predators of their undesirable taste and poisonous characteristics. (They taste bad and can create a physical reaction because of the chemicals in the milkweed!)
