A PBS NOVA Presentation on Butterflies

[Sage]

We really enjoyed this show! Do any other butterflies migrate even a little bit?

[erictjohnson]

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.

[biigblueyes]

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

[suunto]

Nice program, but I would have liked to have seen a bit more on their larvae and the relationship with their milkweed host plants.

[winterhavenwildflowers]

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

[winterhavenwildflowers]

The sulphur butterflies migrate a bit but not the thousands of miles every fall and spring like the monarchs. No insect is known to migrate as far or as regularly as the monarchs.

Originally Posted by Sage

We really enjoyed this show! Do any other butterflies migrate even a little bit?

[winterhavenwildflowers]

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.

Originally Posted by suunto

Nice program, but I would have liked to have seen a bit more on their larvae and the relationship with their milkweed host plants.

[biigblueyes]

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.

[suunto]

Originally Posted by winterhavenwildflowers

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.

As there are many species of milkweed in North America, I was curious as to whether the butterflies showed any preference (regional, seasonal, or otherwise) for any particular milkweed species, or whether they were simply opportunistic feeders on whatever happened to be handy. Also, I have had little success in establishing milkweed plantings from seed (they sprout O.K., but don't thrive once transplanted).

[NEWisc]

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.