Monarch Chrysalises hanging in the lab at Beaver Creek. (Photo by Ruth Forsgren) |
Furthermore, the article continued to report that the student, Ayse Tenger-Trolander,
...studies the genetics and internal biology of migratory monarchs, and she had ordered the butterflies from a breeder that supplies butterflies for educational settings, with the goal of speeding up her experiments. "We fully expected ... that even though they've been bred in captivity, they're still normal North American monarchs," says Marcus Kronforst, her advisor at the University of Chicago.
To their surprise, the breeder's butterflies had rounder, smaller top wings - similar to nonmigratory butterflies. When they were put in a flight simulator, they did not orient south, unlike the wild North American butterflies they'd been raised alongside. The captive-bred butterflies, the scientists realized, were unlikely to migrate. Their findings are published this week in the journal PNAS.
Monarch Caterpillars from Beaver Creek's caterpillar lab. Each year we raise between 400-1000 Monarchs from egg. |
Since so many people have questioned whether their own citizen efforts were potentially not producing migrating monarchs, we asked our own specialist. " I think it's quite likely that some captive-raised monarchs may lose their ability to migrate," explained Schwiebert. "Especially those that are sourced from places in the southern United States, Florida in particular, where the majority of the monarch ranchers exist." Monarchs are able to overwinter in Florida and even parts of southern California due to the year-round mild climate.
"I think our records at Beaver Creek show pretty strongly that our monarchs do make it to Mexico, considering we've had 10 tag returns in the 20 years that we've been tagging. So I don't think this article is directed at home hobbyists, or small-scale operations like Beaver Creek, who only raise native monarchs from wild collected stock and then release them," continued Schwiebert.
Naturalist Jim Schwiebert reaching up to the southeast corner of the butterfly house to select butterflies for tagging. |
"Butterflies are amazing in general, but the thing that amazes me most is the last generation of Monarchs. When we release any of the other generations Monarchs, they fly in every direction. But those that emerge in the last generation of Monarchs, those that we tag, from the time that their wings are dry they immediately move to the south side of their enclosures. When we release them into the butterfly house ahead of tagging them, they mostly congregate on the southern side of the house, and after they are tagged and released, they head south instinctively," commented Brianne Markin, Marketing and Development Coordinator. "It is important to remember that the migrators are not the first, or even second generation hatched. This would be like your great-great-great grandchildren knowing where your ancestral home was, without being given directions" continued Markin.
Monarch from Beaver Creek's Butterfly House. |
If you are concerned about the plight of the Monarch and want to help, but maybe aren't ready to make the leap to raising them yourselves, there are still plenty of things you can do. 1. Plant Milkweed. 2. Plant More Milkweek. Educate others on planting milkweed or nor mowing ditches or other areas where milkweed grows. 3. Help Beaver Creek by finding eggs or caterpillars. 4. If you have Milkweed growing on your property, bring it to us to feed our hungry horde. The bonus is that our trained volunteers will often find eggs and caterpillars on it as well! 5. Donate to Beaver Creek Reserve, Journey North or another organization working to preserve Monarch habitats.
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