Master Gardeners of Ventura County
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Master Gardeners of Ventura County

Posts Tagged: David James

A Fascinating, Must-Read Book: 'The Lives of Butterflies'

“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?—Lincoln Brower (1931-2018), renowned Lepidopterist educated at Princeton and Yale...

In the field: David James, an entomologist and associate professor at Washington State University.
In the field: David James, an entomologist and associate professor at Washington State University.

In the field: David James, an entomologist and associate professor at Washington State University.

A monarch butterfly on Tithonia rotundifola in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A monarch butterfly on Tithonia rotundifola in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A monarch butterfly on Tithonia rotundifola in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Monday, January 8, 2024 at 5:03 PM
Focus Area Tags: Environment, Innovation, Natural Resources, Yard & Garden

Monarch 'Cats Sleeping with the Aphids

Sleeping with the aphids...that's what this monarch caterpillar was doing. It lived--and quite hidden at that--through the freezing cold, the rain, and the wind. It surfaced today on a milkweed in our Vacaville pollinator garden. Surprise,...

A monarch caterpillar sharing a milkweed leaf with oleander aphids on Dec. 8, 2023 in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A monarch caterpillar sharing a milkweed leaf with oleander aphids on Dec. 8, 2023 in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A monarch caterpillar sharing a milkweed leaf with oleander aphids on Dec. 8, 2023 in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Milkweed going to seed on Dec. 8, 2023 in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Milkweed going to seed on Dec. 8, 2023 in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Milkweed going to seed on Dec. 8, 2023 in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Friday, December 8, 2023 at 5:14 PM
Focus Area Tags: Environment, Natural Resources, Yard & Garden

Monarchs on the Move...So Many Mysteries

Monarchs on the move...so many mysteries. Where do Western monarchs go after leaving their overwintering sites along coastal California in February?  An observation: They didn't stop in the spring or summer to deposit eggs on any of our four...

A tiny monarch egg. Image taken on Nov. 14, 2023 in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A tiny monarch egg. Image taken on Nov. 14, 2023 in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A tiny monarch egg. Image taken on Nov. 14, 2023 in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A monarch caterpillar sharing a milkweed leaf with aphids. This image was taken Nov. 15, 2023 in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A monarch caterpillar sharing a milkweed leaf with aphids. This image was taken Nov. 15, 2023 in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A monarch caterpillar sharing a milkweed leaf with aphids. This image was taken Nov. 15, 2023 in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Two monarch caterpillars sharing a milkweed leaf. This image was taken Nov. 15, 2023 in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Two monarch caterpillars sharing a milkweed leaf. This image was taken Nov. 15, 2023 in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Two monarch caterpillars sharing a milkweed leaf. This image was taken Nov. 15, 2023 in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A very hungry monarch caterpillar on the move. This image was taken Nov. 18, 2023 in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A very hungry monarch caterpillar on the move. This image was taken Nov. 18, 2023 in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A very hungry monarch caterpillar on the move. This image was taken Nov. 18, 2023 in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Hi, there! A monarch caterpillar faces the camera. This image was taken Nov. 14, 2023 in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Hi, there! A monarch caterpillar faces the camera. This image was taken Nov. 14, 2023 in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Hi, there! A monarch caterpillar faces the camera. This image was taken Nov. 14, 2023 in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Tuesday, November 21, 2023 at 2:13 PM
Focus Area Tags: Environment, Innovation, Natural Resources, Yard & Garden

WSU Entomologist David James on Irish Podcast: Exploring The Lives of Butterflies

You'll want to hear Ireland scientist Éanna Ní Lamhna's RTÉ podcast featuring Washington State University entomologist David James, co-author of a newly published book, The Lives of Butterflies: A Natural History of Our Planet's...

A male monarch nectaring on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola, in a Vacaville, Calif. garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A male monarch nectaring on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola, in a Vacaville, Calif. garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A male monarch nectaring on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola, in a Vacaville, Calif. garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Friday, October 13, 2023 at 4:15 PM
Focus Area Tags: Environment, Innovation, Natural Resources

What's Better Than Seeing a Monarch Butterfly?

Question: What's better than seeing a monarch butterfly? Answer: Seeing two monarch butterflies sharing the same blossom on a butterfly bush! Scenario: Monarchs (Danaus plexippus) from the Pacific Northwest are fluttering through Vacaville, Calif. and...

Two migrating monarchs land on a butterfly bush in Vacaville, Calif. to sip some nectar. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Two migrating monarchs land on a butterfly bush in Vacaville, Calif. to sip some nectar. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Two migrating monarchs land on a butterfly bush in Vacaville, Calif. to sip some nectar. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The monarchs engage in what appears to be a territorial battle. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The monarchs engage in what appears to be a territorial battle. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The monarchs engage in what appears to be a territorial battle. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A kaleidoscope of orange and black as the two monarchs seek the same blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A kaleidoscope of orange and black as the two monarchs seek the same blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A kaleidoscope of orange and black as the two monarchs seek the same blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Wings up! The monarchs take flight. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Wings up! The monarchs take flight. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Wings up! The monarchs take flight. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Thursday, October 12, 2023 at 5:11 PM
Focus Area Tags: Environment, Natural Resources, Yard & Garden

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