When my husband gifted me a corner
of our new urban yard to use as a garden. His Valentine’s Day surprise was removing
the sod and working the soil. My dilemma, what to do with it? It didn't take
long to settle on growing milkweed for monarchs. I'd witnessed the fall
migration passing through Austin, Tx, and had an overnight roost of butterflies
in our trees in Bishop Hill, IL. I was sold. Getting my neighbors on board took
a little more time. Now I get compliments on the sweet aroma of flowering
milkweed and the pleasant sight of fluttering adult monarchs.
Along the way I've had many years of learning
the ins and outs of raising several types of milkweed and how to manage some of
the dangers that lie in wait for monarch caterpillars. Everything about these
experiences has been enlightening, from discovering the existence of parasitic
flies and wasps to witnessing the metamorphosis to adult monarch, over and over
again.
Now, I have to include Anurag Agrawal's book,
Monarchs and Milkweed, as an amazing discovery for my education. I've gotten
new information on nasty pests, the mysterious OE, and tips on butterfly
behavior. I've had several of my thoughts, based on my observations, confirmed.
I have a new outlook on moving forward due to the interplay of a toxic plant
and an insect as herbivore that Agrawal has provided.
There's a treasure trove of information and the
science to back it up. Yes, there were times when I had to make myself keep
reading. It was worth it to get a better understanding of the chemical
interplay of the pertinent toxins, cardenolides, and the monarch's defensive
adaptations. A chemical arms race is not a bad analogy.
The quality of the printed hardcover book was
impressive. As were the photos. Who couldn’t love the photo of a Blue Jay
barfing after eating a monarch? Agrawal and his crew of supporters have created
an important and lasting contribution to monarch research for years to come.
Five stars is not enough.
P.S. Citizen Scientists.
This is the part of the summer
season when foster parenting monarch caterpillars, helping them survive to
adulthood, is the most rewarding--the great migration south is coming up.
In Monarchs and Milkweeds, Anurag Agrawal,
goes into the history of how the secrets of the monarch’s migration were eventually
revealed. Discovering the details of the routes north and south was a process
that spanned decades and involved recruiting “citizen scientists” to help with
a butterfly tagging program to figure it out and ultimately find the main overwintering
site in Mexico.
Now there is another push for “citizen
scientists” to help researchers. The call this time is to gather dead
butterflies, moths, and skippers to send in for testing.
I missed out on the original tagging
program because I was too young. I’m going to miss out on this call because I don’t
live in any of the target states of Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma,
and Texas. Still, I like the idea of butterfly enthusiasts contributing to finding
answers.
NOTE: There is a Nov. 1 deadline for
sending specimens in to the USGS LRC. Find out more at:
https://www.usgs.gov/news/state-news-release/media-alert-usgs-calling-all-dead-butterflies-and-moths-six-states
