Butterfly Lady

My friend Wendy Williams, author of the book The Language of Butterflies, asked, “Christmas is over. When do we get to the Good Stuff? When does Butterfly Season finally start?” Fortunately for me because I live in south Texas, and for others who live in temperate and tropical climes, butterfly season never ends. We get to enjoy seeing many different species of native butterflies throughout the winter.

Even if you live where winter weather prevails, there are also many butterfly exhibits where you can enjoy seeing beautiful tropical butterflies year-round in the United States and Canada.

I also would like to argue that the butterfly season never ends even where it snows. Many butterflies that live in cold climates spend the winter as caterpillars, while almost as many spend the winter as pupae. A few species, mainly the California Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica), Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa), and Comma (Polygonia comma) spend the winter as adults, hibernating in holes in trees, in crevices in man-made structures, or in other shelters. A very few species spend the winter as eggs. By leaving autumn leaves un-raked and yards a little messy with debris, we allow safe places for them to snooze the winter away.

Winter is the perfect time of year to start planning your garden for the butterflies!  If you enjoy seeing butterflies in your garden, then you not only need to plant flowers that feed the adults but also plant host plants that will feed the caterpillars of those butterflies.

Many seeds, especially native milkweeds and native perennials, need to be cold-stratified for 3 to 6 weeks. If you live where it snows, I think the easiest way to cold stratify seeds is using the milk jug method.

Seeds can also be cold stratified in the refrigerator. Simply place the seeds on a wet piece of paper towel or sand inside a plastic container or Ziplock bag and place them in the refrigerator. Leave them there for 3-6 weeks or until you are ready to plant them.

There are many excellent books available as well as online resources to help you learn about the butterflies native to your area and the plants that will attract them. Start finding out about different plants and trees so that you will know what to plant to create a habitat for the butterflies. Start making a list.

Take an online course on “Creating a Butterfly Garden” by Jessica McAtee. In this free course you will discover what butterflies live in your corner of the planet and how you can attract them and understand what butterflies require to survive. With a healthy mix of science and silliness, she teaches people how to attract butterflies to their landscapes. Thousands of folks have taken her advice to create or enhance their outdoor butterfly retreats. From healing gardens to pollinator stops she has happily shared her knowledge of butterflies. She is a butterfly author, speaker and conservationist.

As you can see, Butterfly Season has already started. Enjoy the flowers and the butterflies!

Recently, I learned about a  group of eighth-grade students in New Jersey who wanted to give away Milkweed (Asclepias spp.) seeds to people in their community. They found out I also was giving away Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) seeds so they contacted me.

These ambitious students wanted to do something which would make a lasting impact in their town. They discussed how much they liked being outdoors and believed that because of the pandemic they wanted to do something to encourage others to go outside to appreciate nature more. Learning about a USDA project encouraging farmers to plant Milkweed, they felt a need to help Monarch (Danaus plexippus) butterflies by planting Milkweed, the only plant Monarch butterflies lay eggs on. So the group decided to encourage people in their community to plant Milkweed.

The students created a Facebook page called NJ Monarchs and posted a link to an online survey to find people who would be interested in planting Milkweed in their gardens. The response for the free seeds far exceeded their expectations. They’ve received 1,000 requests for Milkweed seeds, so far. They have been working hard making seed packets and mailing them out to people who requested the seeds.

These dedicated students are encouraging their neighbors, churches, and local businesses to certify their property as National Wildlife Habitats. They collaborated with a local church, which recently was certified, and scattered seeds on the side of the church, which will provide plants for pollinators, next spring.

These motivated youngsters now are working on another project with a local wildlife photographer to create an educational packet for younger students.

My hat goes off to these young people and their efforts to help Monarch butterflies!

Each fall Monarch Watch distributes more than a quarter of a million tags to thousands of volunteers across North America who tag Monarchs as they migrate through their respective areas. These “citizen scientists” capture monarchs throughout the migration season, record the tag code, tag date, gender of the butterfly, and geographic location, then tag and release them. At the end of the tagging season, these data are submitted to Monarch Watch and added to their database to be used in research.

Tags are tiny, lightweight, round stickers. They are a little larger than a hole-punch, about 9 mm in diameter. Each tag has a unique ID number. When a tag is recovered (found again), valuable information about migration is revealed.

According to Monarch Joint Adventure, “The purpose of tagging Monarchs is to associate the location of original capture with the point of recovery for each butterfly. The data from these recaptures are used to determine the pathways taken by migrating Monarchs, the influence of weather on the migration, the survival rate of the Monarchs.

Coded tags are attached to Monarchs when they are captured before or during their southbound migration, and recovered when Monarchs are found throughout the migration or overwintering season. Citizen scientists record the date, location, Monarch gender, and unique tag number for each fall-migrating monarch that they tag and then submit these data to be used in research. The tags and tagging process do not harm the butterflies, and the data collected have the potential to answer many important questions about monarch biology and conservation.”

Tagging helps answer questions about the origins of Monarchs that reach Mexico, the timing and pace of the migration, mortality during the migration, and changes in geographic distribution. For example, by tagging Monarchs and collecting data, we have learned that these butterflies can travel at least 170 miles in a single day and that they have traveled as far as 3,000 miles. In fact, tagging led to the discovery of the monarch’s winter home in Mexico. (Read more of this fascinating story here.)

Monarch Watch, the Southwest Monarch Study, and Monarch Alert all have monarch tagging programs and are always looking for more citizen scientists; find the program that’s best for you and get involved!

It is that time of year when Monarch butterflies are starting their long migration south to Mexico. During the next three months, millions of Monarchs will travel 2500-3000 miles across Canada and the United States headed for warmer weather in Mexico.

The Monarchs (Danaus plexippus) fly during the day, typically traveling alone. They do not migrate in flocks like many birds. But in the early evening, they will rest in trees. Sometimes they cluster in small groups, and sometimes they form large clusters. These clusters of Monarchs are called roosts. Most roosts last for only a night or two but sometimes these gatherings may last as long as two weeks.

Why do monarchs roost? According to Journey North, “One hypothesis is that roosting behavior is an anti-predator strategy. Cool temperatures paralyze monarchs, making them vulnerable to predators. A roost provides safety in numbers. When overnight temperatures are warm, monarchs may not aggregate as tightly or roost at all. Perhaps monarchs shift to roosting behavior when cold overnight temperatures make them vulnerable.”

Where do Monarchs roost? Roosts are more likely found in certain habitats but are not consistently found in the same place. They vary from year to year. Roosts can often be found near nectar sources, in trees that are downwind, and near a major flyway. Flyways are typically near valley streams or depressions that provide a cool moist environment. (https://journeynorth.org/tm/monarch/FallRoosts.html)

One of the best ways to follow the fall migration is to track where they are forming roosts. Journey North keeps and posts data collected by citizen scientists on where roosts are being observed. The roost map shows where there are large concentrations of monarchs. Week by week, it reveals the fall migration pathways to Mexico and the pace of the migration.

 

We all know that Monarch larvae eat Milkweed plants, but there are other insects that also use Milkweed as a source of food. We must realize that most of these insects serve a purpose within their respective ecosystems. It is important to remember that species diversity is necessary for a healthy ecosystem. Feel good about providing habitat and resources for another species in your garden.

The reason that many of them are black and orange like Monarchs is that they use the same defense mechanism called “aposematism” where their black and orange coloration warns predators of their toxic/bitter taste caused by cardiac glycosides which they acquire from milkweed plants they feed on.

​Here are some of the insects you will find on milkweed:

Red Milkweed Beetle (Tetraopes tetrophthalmus)

Distribution: Their range matches the distribution of Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), basically the Northeast quadrant of North America.

Harmful to Monarch caterpillars/eggs? No. They are herbivores and only eat milkweed. They are harmless to monarch larvae and eggs so you can leave them on your milkweed plant if you have enough to go around. The best method to remove the bugs from your milkweed plant is to grab them and throw them into a bucket of soapy water.

Identification: Red/orange in color with oval spots all over the body and un-ringed antennae.

​Life Cycle: Eggs laid on stems near the ground or just below the surface; larvae bore into stems, overwinter in roots, and pupate in spring; adults emerge in early summer.

Small Milkweed Bug (Lygaeus kalmii)

Distribution: Throughout the US and Southern Canada.

​Harmful to Monarch caterpillars/eggs? Sometimes. They are mostly herbaceous and will suck nectar from flowers and sometimes feed on milkweed seeds. However, they have been reported to be predators, especially in spring when milkweed seeds are scarce, feeding on Honey Bees, Monarch caterpillars and pupae, and Dogbane Beetles, among others.

Identification: They adult is black with a broad orange/red band on the forewing, forming an “X” shape. Their head is black with a dull red spot on top. In eastern specimens, forewings are all black, but western specimens have large white spots. (Bugguide.net)

Life cycle: Eggs are laid on Milkweed in spring, one or more generations per year. Adults overwinter.

Large Milkweed Bug (​Oncopeltus fasciatus)

Distribution: Throughout North America and from Central America through Mexico and the Caribbean to southern areas in Canada.

Harmful to Monarch caterpillars/eggs? No, they do not feed on Monarch larvae or eggs so they are harmless and play a role in the ecosystem. However, they do feed on the seeds, leaves, and stems of Milkweeds (Asclepias spp). Damage to the plants can deplete resources for Monarch caterpillars. You can control their population by removing the seeds pods from the milkweed plant.

Identification: Adults are overall black and orange with a black band in the middle and two large black spots in front and back.  Nymphs are bright orange and develop black spots late.

​Life Cycle: Eggs are laid in Milkweed seed pods or in crevices between pods. About 30 eggs are laid a day, and about 2,000 over a female’s lifespan, which lasts about a month during the summer. One or more generations per year. They can’t survive cold winters, so they migrate south in the fall. They overwinter in the southern Atlantic and Gulf coast states where they feed and breed and gradually migrate north again in the spring and summer.

Swamp Milkweed Leaf Beetle (​Labidomera clivicollis)

Distribution:  Widespread in North America east of the Rocky Mountains, south to northern Mexico.

Harmful to Monarch caterpillars/eggs? Technically, no, because they are herbaceous. However, they do feed on milkweeds, especially Swamp Milkweed (A. incarnata) and Common Milkweed (A. syriaca). To control populations from eating all of your milkweed, you can pick them off and put them in a soapy bucket of water.

Life Cycle: They often overwinter as adults among leaves such as Mullein (Verbascum). Adults mate on or around milkweed. Eggs are cemented to the underside of leaves. Larvae feed on leaves and drop to the ground to pupate.

Milkweed Tussock Moth Caterpillar (Euchaetes egle)

Distribution: It is found from southern Canada and south through Texas and Florida in North America.

Harmful to Monarch caterpillars/eggs? No, they are herbivores and only eat Milkweed. But they can defoliate an entire stand of Milkweed in a matter of days. You can try removing these fuzzy little guys by hand if you are concerned that there will not be enough milkweed left to sustain your monarch visitors and are determined to reserve your supply. However, handle milkweed tussock moth caterpillars with gloved hands as the caterpillars have urticating hairs that can result in an uncomfortable rash.

Identification: Early instars appear slightly hairy and gray. Later instars sport tufts of black, white, and orange (sometimes yellow) setae (hairs). The head capsule is black. Larvae grow as long as 35 mm.

Life Cycle: There is one generation per year in the north and two or more in the south. Mature caterpillars occur from June onwards.

Milkweed (Oleander) Aphids (Aphis nerii)

Distribution: Throughout North America and from Central America through Mexico and the Caribbean to southern areas in Canada.

Harmful to Monarch caterpillars/eggs? No, but if they become abundant they will suck the life from Milkweed. They also leave behind a trail of sticky, sweet honeydew that attracts Ants, Wasps, and other sugar-loving insects.

Identification: Tiny bright yellow insects with plump, pear-shaped bodies with black cornicles and legs.

Life Cycle: The Oleander aphid reproduces entirely by parthenogenesis (without fertilization). The females are also viviparous, meaning that they do not produce eggs but instead give birth to live young called nymphs, the adult female’s clones.

A recently released study suggests that monarchs are more likely to survive on milkweed shared with non-predatory insects than on a “clean” plant. They believe this is because the plant has more food options for a predator, which lessens the chance that they go after the monarch. In other words, we might be doing more harm when we try to kill or remove insects we find on milkweed.

My suggestion is to grow lots of milkweed so there is plenty to go around. You can never have too much milkweed!

Read more about the fascinating Invertebrate community:

The Enlarged and Updated Second Edition of Milkweed Monarchs and More: A Field Guide to the Invertebrate Community in the Milkweed Patch Paperback  by Ba Rea , Dr. Karen Oberhauser,  and Michael A. Quinn.