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#11 |
POM Judge & Official Non Gardener
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Buffalo, NY, USA
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We really enjoyed this show! Do any other butterflies migrate even a little bit?
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#12 |
Grub
Join Date: Jan 2009
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Several years ago we suddenly found hundreds of red admiral butterflies living in our neighborhood. They spent a lot of time in a basswood tree across the street. On the evening news, I learned that there were similar flocks of the same species in other locations in Dane County. We live in Madison, and Madison is in Dane County. But I never figured out where they came from, or where they went, after spending about 5 days with us.
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#13 |
WG Facilitator
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Cajun Country, Louisiana, USA
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Taiwan has a migration of Purple Milkweed Butterflies that they compare to the Monarch migration.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6491255.stm
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My yarden and I lean a little to the wild side. |
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#14 |
The Bug Whisperer
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Monroe County, WV, USA
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Nice program, but I would have liked to have seen a bit more on their larvae and the relationship with their milkweed host plants.
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#15 |
Carbon
Join Date: Jan 2009
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The monarchs overwinter in the fir forests of Michoacan, Mexico. For more inrofmation about monarch habitat in Mexico, visit
www.learner.org/jnorth/images/graphics/maps/Map_NASAglobeMonarch03.html To learn more about monarch habitat needs, visit www.monarchwatch.org and www.journeynorth.org |
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#16 |
Carbon
Join Date: Jan 2009
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#17 |
Carbon
Join Date: Jan 2009
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I raise monarchs and milkweed and have started a Milkweed for Monarchs program to encourage and instruct people on the need to raise milkweed in great quantities in order to restore monarch populations. I will be happy to share any information you would like on their relationship with milkweed. what would you like to know?
You can learn how to create your own certified monarch waystation at www.monarchwatch.org. |
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#18 |
WG Facilitator
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Cajun Country, Louisiana, USA
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So for $30 (seeds + application fee) or so you can have your very own certified Monarch Way Station? That would be an incredible school project.
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My yarden and I lean a little to the wild side. |
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#19 | |
The Bug Whisperer
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Monroe County, WV, USA
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#20 |
Fox
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Wisconsin
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At various times I have had up to 5 species of milkweed available in my yard. I did not notice any particular preference with respect to the species of milkweed (I found caterpillars on all the species of milkweed). Monarchs are known to show a preference for young growth. The rational that is usually given is that the first instar caterpillars can more easily consume the fresh foliage. That would seem to have some merit from a survival/evolutionary standpoint.
My suspicion (purely speculative on my part) is that the chemical signature of the plant that attracts the butterflies may undergo some change as the plant matures. Since the different species of milkweeds have different emergent times and growth rates, this may actually create a preference for one species of milkweed at any given time. From my own experience, nothing attracts monarchs to lay eggs more that a flat of nice young plants that you are hoping to transplant into your garden. With respect to growing them from seed, I haven't had any particular problems; so I don't know if I can be of any help with that. One thing to consider is that some of them have fast growing tap roots, so they need to be transplanted while still quite small. Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) has probably been the easiest of the ones I've grown.
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. Age is a biological fact. Old is a state of mind. I will age, but I refuse to get old. |
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Tags |
butterflies, nova, pbs, presentation |
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