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Contents:

1) Status of the Population

2) Degree Days Again!

3) Monarch Waystation Update

4) Monarch Tag Recoveries

5) Monarch Rearing Containers

6) Milkweed Blooming Peak

7) Butterfly Photos

8) In the Shop

9) About Our Update List

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Unless otherwise noted, all content was authored by Chip Taylor, edited by Jim Lovett and Sarah Schmidt, and published by Jim Lovett.

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1) Status of the Population

Each year in mid June we have a decision to make – how many tags should we order this year? The decision is always difficult because by that time we have minimal information on the size and potential growth of the monarch population and don’t know whether the fall migration will be strong or weak. Two years ago we had 300,000 tags manufactured and distributed all of them before the end of the season. Last year we weren’t following the population closely and, being more optimistic than realistic, we ordered up another 300,000 tags. That was a big, expensive mistake. As the summer progressed, we assessed the developing population more carefully and downplayed our expectations for the fall migration with each “Status” report in the monthly Updates. Further, it was clear to many taggers that they had seen few monarchs during the summer. The result was that the tag orders declined and we distributed only about half the 300,000 tags. We’d rather not repeat this experience, so we decided to follow the spring reports more closely. Janis Lentz, who teaches at Weslaco East High School in Weslaco, Texas, has been very helpful in this regard. Janis has carefully assembled the monarch sightings reported to Journey North throughout the spring. These data (Table 1) have been helpful but are also a bit confusing. Ideally, good data yields good patterns and provides insights into the future. Unfortunately, all the population data sets for monarchs to date have not been predictive – the exception being when all indicators are that the population is low – then it is low, at least in the near term. What, if anything, do the numbers in Table 1 tell us about the size of the fall migration and the number of tags to order? As you will see from the analysis below, the signals are mixed and while it is clear that the fall migration this year will be larger than that of last year, it is still too early to declare that the monarch population has recovered. Given that the numbers of observations reported each week has been only slightly better than the low numbers reported in the spring of 2004, we decided to be conservative this year and we have only ordered 200,000 tags. This number sounds like a lot but the tags will be gone in a flash if the monarch population increases substantially in the next two months. So, fair warning – if you want to tag monarchs this fall, order your tags early.

When looking at Table 1, one of the first things that jumps out is the number of sightings for June 2005. This number is considerably higher than for all other June periods. Does this mean that the reproductive success of the first generation, born mostly in Texas, was exceptionally high? Does this mean that the first generation monarchs from Texas arrived late in the northern states and Canada? Do these arrivals in the northern breeding grounds signal the potential for a large fall migration? How this number should be interpreted is not clear. What we can say is that monarchs have been reported from the entire summer breeding range in the United States and from Saskatchewan to Nova Scotia in Canada. The numbers reported are modest but the potential for successful reproduction seems to be good. On the other hand, sightings in June - and the total number of sightings from March through mid June - do not appear to be associated in a consistent manner with population size the following winter. For example, 80 sightings were reported for June of 2004 (the second highest in this six year period) but the resulting overwintering population turned out to be the lowest ever recorded. The low reproduction that followed these relatively high June numbers appeared to be due to cold weather that prevailed in the breeding area from late June through August (see the “Teaching with Monarchs” section in the January Update). Similarly, but conversely, the second and third lowest number of sightings in June (2001 and 2002) were followed by modestly large winter populations. Further, the third highest total (402 in 2000) for the six-year interval was followed by the second lowest overwintering population (2.83 hectares).


Table 1. Number of monarch sightings reported to Journey North from 1 March through 18 June in 2005-2000 exclusive of states west of the Rockies and Florida. In the Totals column the numbers in parentheses are observations in Texas. The second to last column gives the percentage of the total observations that were from Texas and the last column shows the number of hectares of monarchs measured at the overwintering sites the following winter.

* Years with relatively low numbers of butterflies returning from Mexico.
** Two small colonies not included in total.
*** Sometimes erroneously reported as 3.83 hectares.

The three springs with the highest number of monarch sightings in TX (2001-2003) were followed by overwintering populations of average to near average size (7.54 – 11.12 hectares). In years with the lowest number of sightings reported for Texas (2000 and 2004), the overwintering populations were low (2.19 and 2.83 hectares). This pattern in the data supports my long held view that the number of monarchs reaching Texas in March and April, and the conditions (host plants, nectar sources, fire ants, and weather) they encounter, is one of the most important factors that determines the size of the fall migration and the overwintering population.

As I’ve pointed out previously, an analysis of observed sightings such as these rests on the assumption that similar numbers of observers are motivated to report their sightings each year and that weather patterns or other events do not increase or decrease the numbers of observations reported. In this connection it is interesting to note that for the last three years the proportion of the total observations from Texas ranged from 24-26% – a remarkably narrow range. In fact, the outlier in these data, at 11% for 2000, may be due to exceptionally poor spring conditions. The spring of 2000 was extremely dry in Texas and only 43 monarchs were reported that season. Since monarchs appeared early (or on time and in good numbers) in states neighboring Texas that spring, it is possible that monarchs kept moving because of the poor conditions rather than lingering in Texas to reproduce.

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2) Degree Days Again!

By Chip Taylor and Janis Lentz

Last summer took us by surprise. It was cool and pleasant in eastern Kansas, a welcome change from the typical hot and dry summers that often appear to be precursors of the next dust bowl. However, cool in Kansas translates to even colder further north and last summer proved to be the coldest summer in the main monarch breeding area of the upper Midwest since the volcanic dust cloud from Mt Pinatubo reduced summer temperatures in 1992. In the January Update we explored the impact of the cold temperatures on monarch development. To do so we calculated the total degree days during the summers of 2003 and 2004 for Lawrence, KS and Minneapolis, MN. Monarchs require 720 degree days to complete development from egg to egg, that is, from the time an egg is laid until a female has mated and laid her first egg. At high temperatures these degree days accumulate rapidly and development can be completed in as little as 24 days. At cooler temperatures, degree days accumulate over a longer interval and generation lengths can increase to 40 and even 50 days, thus reducing the potential number of generations per season. Further, an increase in generation length has the effect of exposing the larvae for longer periods to predators, parasites and other environmental hazards that could reduce the proportion of the larvae reaching the adult stage. The formula used to calculate degree days is presented in the “Teaching with Monarchs” article in the January 2005 Update. The formula is quite easy to use. Give it a try.

Since degree day accumulation appears to be one of the ways we can assess the potential development of the monarch population we thought it might be useful to provide the running totals of degree days for a range of cities in the middle of the continent. Each of the data sets starts with the average day of first arrival of monarchs at the latitude of the city. At a later date we will explore the fate of the progeny of monarchs that arrive too early or too late at select latitudes. Data are presented for 2003 (a warm year), 2004 (a cooler year) and 2005.

You can see the impact of cooler temperatures in 2004 in the data for Winnipeg, Canada. If an egg was laid on the 7 of June in each of the three years, the monarch would have completed 19% of its development by the 18th of June (135/720=.19), 11% in 2004, and 16% this year. As you can see for Lawrence, KS, if a monarch laid an egg on the 28th of April, the first egg laying by the next generation would be expected to have occurred (at the earliest) on 18 June for 2003, 10 June for 2004 and 13 June for 2005. If you wish to estimate the fate of eggs laid later, just create a running total starting from that date. Assuming that the temperatures measured at the nearest weather station are representative of your site, a female monarch should begin laying eggs when the total reaches 720.

We will add to the tables below through the September Update.

Winnipeg, Canada:

Minneapolis, MN:

Des Moines, IA:

Lawence, KS:

Dallas, TX:

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3) Monarch Waystation Update

Each day as I drive from my home to the Monarch Watch office I'm reminded of why Monarch Waystations are so important. The drive is through a countryside dominated with the plantings of corn and soybeans. At this time of year the soybeans are 6-10 inches high and the growers are busy driving tractors with spraying rigs through their fields. They are using glyphosate (Roundup) to control weeds, a practice made possible by genetic engineering that has made the soybeans resistant to the herbicide. You can tell when the fields have been treated. Interspersed among the green rows of soybeans are the brown leaves and stems of the dead weeds. It's a sight the grower wants to see but for me it is a reminder of the milkweed that was present in these fields 5 years ago and of the 80 million acres of monarch habitat that has been lost following the adoption and widespread planting of herbicide-resistant soybeans and corn. Signs of development are everywhere around Lawrence and more habitat for wildlife is converted to shopping areas and housing daily. Lawrence was a small town when I moved here in 1969 - an area of about 2.5 square miles. The city is sprawling now and occupies 10-12 square miles. With the exception of the Baker Wetlands, a modest number of gardens with milkweeds, and the blue vine that grows along the back fences, nearly all the milkweed/ monarch habitat in Lawrence has been eliminated. Unfortunately, what I see in my area is part of a widespread pattern and habitat loss continues.

The good news is that the Monarch Waystation concept is catching on. Last week I received a call from a person who works at a state prison wanting to know if it might be possible to create monarch habitats within the prison. As the conversation progressed, it became clear that not only might it be possible to create numerous milkweed patches on the prison grounds but that prison labor might be available for collecting seeds on a large scale and planting milkweeds on state lands. It will take money to make this work but it is just one of the many possibilities that have come our way since announcing the Monarch Waystation program. We are also in discussions with managers of National Wildlife Refuges and military bases with regard to milkweed restoration and with persons interested in incorporating milkweeds into plots being restored for quail. The possibilities for this program seem endless – golf courses, retirement homes, city parks, home gardens, state and federal lands, etc., are all possible sites for Monarch Waystations. It is going to take time, money (a limiting factor at this time) and lots of milkweed seed and plants to make this project work but we are making progress. We are lining up seed producers this season and have plans for the collection of seeds from three local milkweed species this summer. Hopefully, we will be able to harvest enough seed to meet the demand for next season. We are also developing relationships with nurseries to grow and ship milkweed plants to those who wish to establish monarch habitats with established plants rather than seeds. Next season, if all goes well, we will have several versions of the Monarch Waystation Seed Kits, each with milkweeds and nectar plants for different regions of the country.

In the area of publicity, we are discussing a possible documentary and a short piece that will be geared toward educators. We are also in the process of revising the Monarch Waystation text on the website (http://www.monarchwatch.org/ws/) for incorporation into a new brochure that will be available soon. In the meantime, if you’d like to disseminate information about the Monarch Waystation program, please feel free to print copies of the texts that are currently online for this purpose. We wish to thank Carol Cullar, Ina Warren and Gail Manning for distributing this information to potential monarchs supporters in their areas.

The Monarch Waystation Application for Certification and Registration form is now online at http://www.monarchwatch.org/ws/certify.html. Applications are now being accepted by mail and fax and online submission of the form is under development and will be available in a few weeks. Once your site has been approved, you will be sent a certificate (including your name and your site’s Monarch Waystation ID number) thanking you for your contribution to monarch conservation.

Our weatherproof Monarch Waystation sign is due from the manufacturer shortly and is available from the Monarch Watch Shop:

http://shop.monarchwatch.org/product.aspx?p=125618

These signs signal that your site has been registered and certified and demonstrate your support of monarch conservation.

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4) Monarch Tag Recoveries

Last summer, with the assistance of funds from Kansas Wildlife and Parks, the data from all the tagged monarchs recovered during our program was entered into a database. These records now include over 10,000 recoveries. We have conducted a preliminary analysis of the data and are looking for funds to complete the analysis of the patterns in the data and to enter additional records.

Within a week or so all 10,000+ monarch tag recovery records will be publicly accessible. No, we won’t make you scroll through 1,000s of records to locate your tags (but you’ll be able to do that if you really want to); instead, you’ll have a fully searchable database at your fingertips. We realize that this has been a long time coming, but we think you’ll agree that it was worth the wait :-)

We’ll send a quick note via email when the database is ready for prime-time so you can take it for a spin – stay tuned and thank you for your patience!

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5) Monarch Rearing Containers

Monarchs can be reared on living or cut plants and in a variety of containers or cages. We have reared monarchs many different ways but recently came up with two approaches that some of you might find useful for different reasons. The first method involves the use of reclosable sandwich bags (ziplock-type). These bags can be obtained for about 2 cents a piece and perhaps less if purchased in large quantities. Place leaves of the host plant in the bags and then add one or two fifth instar larvae. The leaves should be positioned so as to expand the sides of the bag. Suspend the bags from a line with clothes pins or clips. I’ve been finishing 5th instar larvae in these bags by setting them up with a large leaf of common milkweed. The milkweed leaf is eaten in about 48 hours at which time the frass is removed and another leaf is added. The larva continues to feed for another 24-36 hours and then pupates in the bag. This method works best for large larvae and can be used in the classroom to great effect. As we all know, caterpillars are great food processors and lessons could be developed around the process of converting the leaf to frass and caterpillar since (at the end of any interval of your choosing) you could weigh the caterpillar, the remaining leaf matter and the frass. Further, if the lesson is to determine how temperature influences the rate of growth, all the components are in the bag and all one would have to do is measure the feeding rate – i.e., the rate of frass production – at different temperatures. Another option is to see if there is feeding compensation by larvae feeding on milkweeds with low proteins (tuberosa – butterfly weed) vs. those whose leaves have a higher protein-content (syriaca - common milkweed). This method can also be used to minimize the spread of disease should it appear in your culture. Larvae exposed to a disease will die in the bags, which can be disposed of without even opening them. Healthy larvae will continue to develop and their isolation minimizes the possibility that they will contract the disease. The bags are also useful for isolating larvae collected in the wild, since such larvae may be parasitized by tachinid flies. If a larva has been parasitized, the fly larvae that emerge from the 5th instar larvae or pupae can be easily discarded or studied. As you can see, use of these bags (or even larger ones) offers numerous possibilities. However, this method is not appropriate if one is rearing large numbers of monarchs simply because of the time involved in tending to each larva.

Rearing containers can also be made from two-liter plastic soda bottles. These containers are made by first cutting the bottom off one of the bottles and then drilling/cutting a 3/4 inch hole in each of the bottle caps and gluing them together with an appropriate adhesive (“Gorilla Glue” works great for this). The two bottles can then be screwed together with the open-ended bottle uppermost. The bottom bottle is filled with water and a cut milkweed stem is added. To keep the frass from dropping into the lower bottle and to keep caterpillars from crawling down the stem and drowning, wrap the stem with a paper towel before placing it in the upper bottle. The top can be covered with screen or any other porous cover (we use open-mesh shelf liner cut to size). To keep the milkweed fresh, cut the stems twice under warm water. This treatment has the effect of keeping the latex, which typically forms on a cut stem, from plugging the vesicles that transport water to the leaves. Four to six 5th instar larvae can complete their development in this container. The stems should be changed as needed, usually every two to three days.

Photos: http://www.MonarchWatch.org/update/2005/rearing_containers/

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6) Milkweed Blooming Peak

June is milkweed month in eastern Kansas. At least 10 species are in bloom sometime during the month. The sequence of bloom is approximately as follows: Asclepias viridis, A. amplexicaulis, A. meadii, A. viridiflora, A. syriaca, A. tuberosa, A. purpurascens, A. sullivantii, A. verticillata, and A. stenophyla. The first three of these begin blooming in May and for some, particularly A verticillata and A. viridiflora, bloom can extend into July and even early August. Individual flowers of eight of the above species are shown in the photo below. Can you name them correctly? Just to make this test of your knowledge a bit more difficult I’ve added another species not mentioned above. Can you name this one too?

See more Milkweed Photos (and the answers).

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7) Butterfly Photos

Butterfly Photos

I take my camera with me when I walk the dog in the morning with the objective of taking pictures of any wildlife that presents a good photo opportunity. One goal has been to take pictures of butterflies that I can share with family and friends through email. Unfortunately, this has not been a good year for butterflies and I haven’t been very successful. Nevertheless, the images below may help you identify these four species.

http://www.MonarchWatch.org/update/2005/butterflies/

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8) In the Shop

Here are some recent additions to the Monarch Watch Shop that you might be interested in. Remember, each purchase helps support Monarch Watch - thanks!

Life Cycle of the Monarch Butterfly Poster

Monarch enthusiast and multi-talented artist Ron Brancato has created a stunning large format poster that illustrates the entire life cycle of the monarch butterfly. It includes descriptive text about each life stage and other aspects of the monarch butterfly's life history. The poster measures approximately 24" x 36" and comes laminated.

You can see a preview of it and/or order the poster at

http://shop.monarchwatch.org/product.aspx?p=125560


2005 Monarch Tagging Kits

Earlier this year we announced new Tagging Kits for the 2005 monarch migration season this fall. We reduced the price of the Standard Tagging Kit by 40% this year and also added a Mini Tagging Kit option.

The Monarch Watch Standard Tagging Kit includes a set of monarch butterfly tags (you specify quantity), a datasheet, tagging instructions, and additional monarch/migration information.

Standard Tagging Kit: http://shop.monarchwatch.org/product.aspx?p=121239

The Monarch Watch Mini Tagging Kit includes a set of five (5) monarch butterfly tags, a datasheet, tagging instructions, additional monarch/migration information, and a Monarch Watch Shop coupon - all together in a self-addressed envelope (used to return the datasheet to Monarch Watch). These kits are especially suited for nature centers, zoos, schools and other organizations/individuals who would like to distribute a small number of tags to several monarch taggers.

Mini Tagging Kits: http://shop.monarchwatch.org/product.aspx?p=121240

As usual, we encourage you to order early - the limited number of tags are distributed on a first come, first served basis and we run out of tags almost every year. We will begin shipping out the tags by the first week of August - in plenty of time for the start of the monarch migration in your area. Orders may be placed online or by phone, fax or mail; details are available at

http://www.MonarchWatch.org/order/

If you have any questions about this please feel free to contact us anytime and/or stay tuned to our website for updates.


Monarch Pupa (Chrysalis) Kit

http://shop.monarchwatch.org/product.aspx?p=120029

Each Monarch Pupa (Chrysalis) Kit contains five (5) monarch pupae and instructions. The pupae arrive in small cups and must be transferred to a suitable "emergence chamber" - which can be as simple as a plastic cup with mesh or other "rough" material placed inside (complete instructions and suggestions are included with the kit).


Monarch Waystation Seed Kit

http://shop.monarchwatch.org/product.aspx?p=125522

The interest in the Waystation seed kits was stronger than anticipated and we had to reorder seeds and arrange for packaging twice this spring. We now have a supply of these kits and while it is late in the season some of the perennials could still be planted, particularly the milkweeds, to get them established so they will flower next season. Unused seeds may be stored in the refrigerator until next season. The kits, at only $16, also make excellent gifts.


Monarch Waystation Sign

http://shop.monarchwatch.org/product.aspx?p=125618

Once you have created and certified your Monarch Waystation habitat you become eligible to display a weatherproof sign that identifies your monarch habitat as an official Monarch Waystation. This display helps convey the conservation message to those who visit your Monarch Waystation and may encourage them to create their own monarch butterfly habitat. This screen printed (hunter green on white background) rigid aluminum sign measures 9" x 12" with rounded corners and includes 4 mounting holes, providing several mounting options. Mounting hardware not included.

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9) About Our Update List

You are receiving this email because you have provided Monarch Watch with your email address at some point and expressed interest in receiving updates from us. If you do not wish to receive these periodic (probably monthly) email updates or feel that you were subscribed in error, please see the unsubscribe information at the end of this message.

Have you somehow missed (or misplaced ;-) an update? Now you can find all of the updates archived online at

http://www.MonarchWatch.org/update

If you know someone that you think might be interested in receiving these email updates from Monarch Watch with monarch news, special announcements, tips on raising monarchs in your classroom, monarch tagging information and a whole lot more, please send them on over to

http://www.MonarchWatch.org/signup

to join our new Monarch-Watch-Update email list - it's easy!

Monarch Watch (http://www.MonarchWatch.org) is a not-for-profit educational outreach program based at the University of Kansas. We run a Monarch tagging program and offer Monarch Rearing Kits, Monarch Tagging Kits, and other educational/promotional materials that allow you to actively experience the monarch life cycle and its spectacular fall migration.

If you would like to be removed from this Monarch Watch Update mailing list, please send an email message to

Listproc@ku.edu

and include in the body of the message (no other text):

UNSUBSCRIBE MONARCH-WATCH-UPDATE

If you have any questions about this, please feel free to contact us anytime.

Thanks!

Monarch Watch
http://www.MonarchWatch.org
monarch@ku.edu