Protocol for Wild and Reared Monarchs from Project Monarch H

[Mona Miller]

Hi Mona

Thanks for sending the note around. OE is a common and naturally occurring parasite, but it is still important to make sure that we monarch enthusiasts don't unintentionally increase prevalence in the wild.

What I might do with OE-infected monarchs is to release them if they are likely to be a natural infection, but do not release/freeze otherwise. For example:

If the monarch was wild-caught as an adult, then treat this as a natural infection and release back to the wild.

If the monarch was collected as a late instar larva from outdoors and reared indoors, then treat as a natural infection and release.

If the monarch was purchased from a grower or obtained from eggs laid in captivity, then freeze any OE infected individuals.

If the monarch was collected as an egg or early-instar larva and reared indoors, and if materials were not carefully sterilized prior to rearing, then freeze any OE infected individuals.

On our webpage monarchparasites.org we have suggestions for how to rear monarchs to limit the unintentional transmission of OE.

All the best, Sonia

Sonia M. Altizer, Associate Professor
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs
Odum School of Ecology
University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602

Ph: 706-542-9251/3485
Email: saltizer@uga.edu
URL: www.uga.edu/altizerlab
www.ecology.uga.edu/altizer

[Paul Cherubini]

All Oe infected adult monarchs (except obviously the extremely infected ones that are too weak fly well and breed) are beneficial to the wild populations because they help them grow larger. Dr. Altizer doesn't explain how and why heavily infected, but otherwise strong flying and vigorous adult monarchs will not help the wild population grow larger.

[Paul Cherubini]

OE is a common and naturally occurring parasite, but it is still important to make sure that we monarch enthusiasts to unintentionally increase prevalence in the wild.

Professor Altizer does not explain HOW it could be logistically possible for the very limited number of monarch enthusiasts around the USA (an average of maybe 25 per state) to unintentionally increase the prevalence of the Oe parasite in the wild, given that the parasite is already found in tens of millions of monarchs from coast to coast.

Dr. Altizer also doesn't explain WHY it would be harmful for commercial breeders to occassionally release small numbers of Oe infected monarchs given that small to medium percentages of the wild population are already infected. In other words, if the background infection rate is already around 20%, what harm could a commercial breeders releases cause if 20% of their butterflies were infected and 80% uninfected?