- Author: Cynthia Zimmerman
“Well, I must endure the presence of a few caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies.” ? Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince
Monarch butterflies are more than beautiful; they contribute to the health of our planet by feeding on nectar and pollinating many types of wildflowers. They are also part of nature's food chain as an important source of food for birds, small animals and other insects. Monarchs are considered an ‘indicator species,' which means it's the canary in the coal mine. Its sensitivity to climate change, harmful chemicals and habitat destruction send a signal to address these conditions before there is more damage to the environment.
Due to the decline of monarch butterflies and their shrinking migratory paths in the United States, home gardeners are being encouraged to plant milkweed. Why milkweed? Monarchs cannot survive without milkweed. The females only lay their eggs on milkweed as they migrate. To grow and develop, the monarch caterpillars need milkweed plants.
Before you run to the nearest garden shop, nursery or box store garden center to help the plight of the monarch, there is something you should consider. There are many, many milkweeds on the market, some native and some tropical. The Monarch Joint Venture, Xerces Society and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, all of which are dedicated to saving monarchs, all recommend only planting milkweed varieties that are native to your location.
Native milkweed in California typically flowers between late spring and the end of summer. Following seed dispersal, the above-ground portion of the plant dies back to the ground remaining dormant through the winter. In spring it re-emerges from the established root system.
Many of the varieties being sold are tropical milkweeds, which are not native to the U.S. and have foliage year-round when it grows where winters are mild and adequate moisture is available (in this circumstance, Fresno is considered mild). Research suggests that the tropical milkweed may encourage monarchs to lay eggs outside of their regular breeding season, disrupting their migratory cycle, and increasing the prevalence of monarch infection by the protozoan parasite Ophryocystis elektroscirrha, aka “OE.” If you have already planted a tropical milkweed in your garden, it is suggested that you cut it to the ground in fall when natives would be dying back. It should re-emerge in the spring. This would prevent the female from laying eggs at the wrong time in their migration.
The following California species should be your first choices when planting milkweed in Fresno, Clovis and surrounding areas:
- Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa) – sometimes called Orange Milkweed. Large flat-topped clusters of yellow-orange or bright-orange flowers. Blooms May to September. Needs sunlight. Drought tolerant, dry or moist soil. 1-2 ft. tall.
- Antelope-horns Milkweed (Asclepias asperula) – Also known as Spider Milkweed. Pale greenish-yellow flowers, tinged with maroon. Blooms March to October. Needs sunlight, dry or moist soil. Medium water use. 1-2 ft. tall.
- Showy Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa) – Blooms May to September. Blue-green leaves and spherical clusters of rose-colored flowers. Shade tolerant, needs some sunlight. Medium water use. Moist soil. 1 ½-3 ft. tall but can reach 6 ft. under favorable conditions.
- California Milkweed (Asclepias californica) – Native to Central and Southern California. White-wooly plant and deep purple flowers. Blooms May to July. Drought tolerant, dry slopes. Maximum height 3 ft.
- Mexican Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis) – aka Narrowleaf milkweed. Clusters of greenish-white flowers often tinged with purple. Blooms June to September. Needs sunlight. Drought tolerant. Dry to moist soil. 1-2 ½ ft. tall.
- Desert Milkweed (Asclepias erosa) – White to yellow flowers. Green to yellow stems. Blooms April to October. Best grown in desert conditions of sandy soil. Needs sunlight, dry soils. Not shade tolerant. 1-3 ft. tall.
Although milkweed does contain toxins, it is not usually a significant threat to animals or humans. Milkweed has a foul taste and is not likely to be consumed by pets or children in a quantity that would prove harmful. Still it is best to prevent accidental ingestion by teaching children to avoid contact with the plant and to wash their hands if they do touch it. If animal or human poisoning is suspected, call the poison control center or seek medical help.
For more information on milkweed and monarchs go to the following websites:
- Milkweed for Monarchs
- Native Milkweed by State
- Milkweed FAQ
- Monarch joint venture chart
- Journey North Tracking Migrations
- Pollinators – Monarch Butterfly
Originally written November 2019. Updated May 2024.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Scientists estimate that only 10 percent of the eggs and 'cats survive to adulthood.
They don't "survive" at all in California classrooms.
California classrooms used to showcase the metamorphosis of the monarch--from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to adult-- but no more. If you live in California, you're not allowed to collect or rear monarchs without a scientific permit. And scientific permits are difficult to obtain.
According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife: "A Scientific Collecting Permit (SCP) is required to handle wild monarchs in California including for educational purposes. It is unlawful to collect, remove from the wild and/or captively rear monarchs in California without an SCP, per California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 14, section 650.
Admire them in the wild, but legally, you can't collect or rear them.
As a child growing up in the San Jose area, entomologist Jeff Smith, curator of the Lepidoptera collection at the Bohart Museum of Entomology, UC Davis, "raised and released many, many dozens of monarchs, as most empty lots were filled with vast stands of narrow-leaf milkweed, and we could easily gather caterpillars and keep them fed and healthy until they matured. This was an extraordinary thing to be able to watch--the final instar of the larva molting to change to the beautiful chrysalis and then seeing the butterfly develop within the chrysalis and hatch. We would hold it on our finger as the wings expanded and, finally, the butterfly flew away."
The Bohart Museum has some seven drawers of monarch specimens. "With around 60 specimens per drawer that could amount to nearly 400 plus specimens (some drawers are not full," he said. The collection also includes nearly-white monarch specimens from Hawaii.
In their book, The Lives of Butterflies: A Natural History of Our Planet's Butterfly Life (Princeton University Press, 2024), authors David James and David Lohman point out that "...our children are the future and it is they who will determine the future of butterflies. If a child finds a caterpillar, let them keep it, feed it, and watch it metamorphose.They will remember the experience for the rest of their life, and it will instill in them a love and appreciation for lives smaller than their own."
James is an entomologist and associate professor at Washington State University who researches migratory monarchs, and Lohman is a biologist, professor and department chair, City College of New York.
“It is important that we do not try to excessively regulate to conserve butterfly populations," they wrote. "We need people to be part of the process and be the power on the ground behind conservation programs.”
They quote Lincoln Brower (1931-2018), a renowned Lepidopterist educated at Princeton and Yale universities: “Butterflies are treasures, like great works of art. Should we not value them as much as the beauty of Picasso's art or the music of Mozart or the Beatles?"
Robert Michael Pyle, founder of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, and colleague David L. Wagner, advocated "Keep Nets in the Hands of Kids--and Others" in a piece in the fall edition of the Lepidopterists' Society newsletter. They asked:
"Is the coup de grace for children's face-to-face fascination with small-scale life to be delivered now by well-intentioned but ill-considered regulation?"
Smith declared that the regulation will not "help" with the conservation of monarchs, and that he hopes it will be reversed or modified.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Professor Louie Yang's monarch and milkweed research at the University of California, Davis, is quite celebrated.
Yang, a community ecologist and professor in the Department of Entomology and Nematology, is involved in monarch conservation science and planning, in collaboration with the Western Monarch Conservation Science Group, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Xerces Society of Invertebrate Conservation, Monarch Joint Venture, Environment Defense Fund, and the National Monarch Summit in D.C.
- Science Friday, National Public Radio, interviewed him in February 2022 about his monarch-milkweed research. (Listen to the archived interview.)
- He was one of 12 invited scientists nationwide who delivered a presentation during the two-day Monarch Butterfly Summit, held in June 2022 at the Capitol, Washington D.C. He has presented invited seminars at Purdue University and the University of Nevada.
Another feat: Yang launched the Monitoring Milkweed-Monarch Interactions for Learning and Conservation (MMMILC) project in 2013 for students in the environmental science program at Davis Senior High School or those associated with the Center for Land-Based Learning's Green Corps program. He taught more than 150 high school-aged participants. Their tasks: monitoring milkweed-monarch interactions in a project funded by the National Science Foundation. He organized and led a 135-member team, and supported them all as co-authors of the paper, “Different Factors Limit Early- and Late-Season Windows of Opportunity for Monarch Development,” published in July 2022 in the journal Ecology and Evolution. The 107 co-authors included high school students, undergraduate and graduate students, and community members.
But did you know that Professor Yang excels at teaching and mentoring?
Described as “a phenomenal teacher, mentor and an incredibly strong advocate for students,” Yang is the newly announced recipient of the UC Davis Academic Senate's 2024 Distinguished Teaching Award, Undergraduate Student category.
And so well-deserved.
“I have watched him engage, inspire, and challenge his students, fostering creative and critical thinking like no one else I've ever seen,” Joanna Chiu, professor and chair of the department, wrote in her nomination letter. “We deeply appreciate and admire his innovative and inclusive teaching, his exemplary work ethic, his welcoming demeanor, his dedication to his students, and his nationally recognized ecology expertise. Louie has received many well-deserved teaching and mentoring awards for his teaching contributions on and off campus.”
Professor Yang is one of the three co-founders and co-directors (along with Professor Chiu and UC Davis distinguished professor Jay Rosenheim) of the campuswide, one-of-a-kind Research Scholars Program in Insect Biology (RSPIB), launched in 2011 to help students learn cutting-edge research through close mentoring relationships with faculty.
Yang, who holds a bachelor's degree in ecology and evolution (1999) from Cornell University, and a doctorate in population biology (2006) from UC Davis, joined the UC Davis faculty in 2009. UC Davis distinguished professor Walter Leal, then chair of the entomology department, remembers recruiting and hiring him, on the recommendation of community ecologist Richard "Rick" Karban.
In 2012, as an assistant professor, Yang was selected a Hellman Fellow and then received a 2013-2018 National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Award. In 2015, he won a Chancellor's Teaching Fellow Award and the Atwood Colloquium Rising Star Award in Ecology, University of Toronto. Currently he chairs the Entomology Graduate Program and also serves as interim vice chair while community ecologist and associate professor Rachel Vannette is on sabbatical.
Since 2009, Yang has taught more than 600 undergraduates and more than 90 graduate students in his formal classes. His courses include Insect Ecology, Community Ecology, Experimental Ecology and Evolution in the Field, He has taught two National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) grant writing workshops, and the Population Biology Graduate Group core course for three years.
Professor Rosenheim, recipient of the 2011 Academic Senate Distinguished Teaching Award, Undergraduate Level, has observed Yang's innovative teaching. “His class sessions were impeccably organized, his presentations deeply insightful, and the discussions highly engaging," he wrote. "Louie alternated lectures with class sessions in which large blocks of time were devoted to structured debates. For the debates, Louie drew names at random and assembled two 3-person teams of students, one arguing the 'pro' side of the issue, the other arguing the 'con' side. After an initial period when positions were presented and rebuttals given, the whole class was invited to join in the discussion. What was truly remarkable was the high level of participation that Louie is able to elicit, both during the debates and during his lectures. Louie inspires the confidence of his students, and they reciprocate with their willingness to take risks during class by contributing, even when discussing topics that are new to them. This is not an easy thing to accomplish; Louie's ability to gain such strong student participation is perhaps the strongest evidence of Louie's talent in connecting with students. I was so impressed with the success of Louie's methods that I decided to incorporate structured debates into one of my own classes as well."
In unsolicited comments in Rate My Professors, his students wrote:
- “One of the best instructors at UC Davis. Class on insects was very interesting…He is super cool, and lectures are never boring.”
- “Louie honestly might be my favorite professor on campus. He is cool and smart and engaged with his students…”
- “Really one of the most intelligent people I've met in college. It's apparent just talking to him, which I'd highly recommend.”
- “I loved this seminar, Ecology Outdoors! I learned so much from Louie, and he's really good at encouraging creativity and experimentation. He's a very hard worker and plans the class well.”
- “Really cool guy, made the class interesting. gave a lot of real-life example, so students can relate the subject to real world.”
A tip of the insect net to Professor Louie Yang!
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
The Brower quote appears in a newly published book authored by two renowned scientists who research butterflies. The book, an introduction to butterflies of the world, is a “must-have” on your bookshelf.
The book: The Lives of Butterflies: A Natural History of Our Planet's Butterfly Life
The authors: Entomologist David James, associate professor, Washington State University and biologist David Lohman, professor and department chair, the City College of New York.
The publisher: Princeton University Press
Publication date: (U.S.) Jan. 9, 2024.
This 288-page book includes eight chapters: Introduction, Life Histories, Habitats and Resources, Butterfly Populations, Butterfly Seasonality, Defense and Natural Enemies, and Threats and Conservation. The close-up images, many by James, spring to life and really confirm their description of butterflies as the "colorful ambassadors of the world."
This is an easy-to-read, fascinating book, complete with a glossary, a list of butterfly families and resources, and, of course, an index.
Some tidbits. Did you know that:
- To date, scientists have described some 19,500 species of butterflies throughout the world?
- Scales give butterflies their color? “The colors of each butterfly have evolved to promote protection to the species from predators and to enable the sexes to find and recognize each other,” they write.
- Butterflies are classified into seven families based on their evolutionary history? And that each family shares physical, behavioral, and ecological features, including body structure, wing characteristics (venation, patterning, and color), host plants, and flight?
- The survival rate of eggs, caterpillars, pupae (chrysalids) is less than 10 percent? What you see are the survivors who have “escaped predation, parasitism, disease and death from unfavorable environmental conditions, including excessive heat, drought, cold, storms, and food shortages,” they relate.
Butterflies, it seems, are also the equivalent of the proverbial “canary in the coal mine,” an early warning of danger in the ecosystem. Take the issue of the declining population of monarchs. Quoting statistics from the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, James and Lohman point out that monarchs have declined by 80 to 90 percent during the past two decades. The decline, they write, "is caused by a combination of habitat loss, pesticide use, and a warming climate.”
If you live in California, you're not allowed to collect or rear monarchs without a scientific permit.
According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife: "A Scientific Collecting Permit (SCP) is required to handle wild monarchs in California including for educational purposes. It is unlawful to collect, remove from the wild and/or captively rear monarchs in California without an SCP, per California Code of Regulations (CCR), Title 14, section 650.
But the metamorphosis of a butterfly--from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to adult--is nothing short of magical. As the authors so succinctly point out: "...our children are the future and it is they who will determine the future of butterflies. If a child finds a caterpillar, let them keep it, feed it, and watch it metamorphose.They will remember the experience for the rest of their life, and it will instill in them a love and appreciation for lives smaller than their own."
They add: “It is important that we do not try to excessively regulate to conserve butterfly populations. We need people to be part of the process and be the power on the ground behind conservation programs.”
The book could have easily been called "The Joy of Butterflies." Butterflies fluttering around the garden on a sunburst day, sipping nectar, and then laying eggs on their host plant, bring us great joy. We marvel at the magic, the miracle of it all.
This book is a great introduction to the lives of butterflies. You'll learn more about their life histories, their habitats, their seasonality, their defensive mechanisms, and what we can do to conserve "the colorful ambassadors of the insect world."
About the authors. James also co-authored Life Histories of Cascadia Butterflies and served as a consultant editor on The Book of Caterpillars. He completed his doctorate on the winter biology of Monarch butterflies and has published more than 200 scientific papers "on a wide range of entomological subjects," the publisher notes. Lohman, in addition to being a professor and department chair, the City College of New York, is a visiting scientist at the American Museum of Natural History, and a research associate at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University and at the National Museum of Natural History in Manila. His research focuses on butterflies in Southeast Asia and the ecology, evolution, and conservation of biodiversity.
Their passion for butterflies, coupled with their exemplary research, shows.
Wings up!
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Dillman, professor and chair of the UCR Department of Nematology, will share his research in a presentation titled "Nematode Parasitism of Insects with Toxic Cardenolides," hosted by the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology at 4:10 p.m., Monday, Jan. 8.
His seminar will be in Room 122 of Briggs Hall and also will be on Zoom. The Zoom link: https://ucdavis.zoom.us/j/95882849672. Associate professor and nematologist Shahid Siddique of the Department of Entomology and Nematology is the host.
Dillman holds a bachelor's degree in microbiology from Brigham Young University (2006) and a doctorate in genetics (2013) from the California Institute of Technology.
The abstract of his UC Davis seminar:
Known as an excellent investigator and teacher, Dillman won the 2022 UCR Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement; the 2021 Award for Excellence in Teaching from the Society of Nematologists, and a 2020 Outstanding Investigator Award, Maximizing Investigators' Research Award (MIRA).
Check out his lab page that details his research and his guest spot on an episode on the podcast Something Offbeat. He he discussed a scientific article on a case of Ophidascaris robertsi infection in a human brain.
Seminar coordinator is Brian Johnson, associate professor, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. For Zoom technical issues, he may be reached at brnjohnson@ucdavis.edu. The complete list of winter seminars will be posted soon.