Posts Tagged: Mona Miller

Western Monarch Population Increase: What Does This Mean?

What does the increase in the overwintering Western monarch population along coastal California mean? The number of Danaus plexippus sightings showed a 100-fold increase as compared to last year, according to the Thanksgiving...

Overwintering monarchs at Pacific Grove, California, in 2016. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Overwintering monarchs at Natural Bridges State Park, Santa Cruz, in 2016. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

This migratory male monarch, released Aug. 28, 2016 by Steve Johnson of Ashland as part of the David James' citizen scientist project, fluttered into Vacaville, Calif. on Sept. 5, 2016, on its way to an overwintering site along coastal California. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

This migratory male monarch, released Aug. 28, 2016 by Steve Johnson of Ashland as part of the David James' citizen scientist project, fluttered into Vacaville, Calif. on Sept. 5, 2016, on its way to an overwintering site along coastal California. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Well, Hello There, Tiny Monarch Caterpillar!

Talk about not getting the memo. We walked into our little pollinator garden in Vacaville, Calif., this afternoon to cut a few tropical milkweed stems to feed the indoor caterpillars, and there, hidden beneath a leaf, was a tiny caterpillar. Well,...

Newest monarch caterpillar retrieved today (Nov. 29) from tropical milkweed in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Newest monarch caterpillar retrieved today (Nov. 29) from tropical milkweed in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The setup: zippered mesh butterfly habitat and a tequila bottle filled with water and milkweed stems. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The setup: zippered mesh butterfly habitat and a tequila bottle filled with water and milkweed stems. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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