Monarchs qualify for listing under the Endangered Species Act, but federal officials are holding off on adding the butterflies to the list. “We conducted an intensive, thorough review using a rigorous, transparent science-based process and found that the monarch meets listing criteria under the Endangered Species Act,” U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Aurelia Skipwith […]
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Tag: butterfly
Attack of the aphids: keeping a healthy ...
For the past decade, my insect nemesis has been the voracious Japanese beetle, but this summer, we’ve been battling an aphid invasion. These tiny sap-suckers are particularly fond of milkweed, the sole food source for monarch caterpillars. They appear uninterested in ironweed, (Vernonia fasciculata) and other native plants that are beneficial for pollinators. More: Differences […]
Iowa efforts cited in overwintering mona...
While California is marking a record low number of overwintering monarch butterflies, counts in Mexico are more encouraging. The latest survey in Mexico — where monarchs from Iowa overwinter — showed a doubling in population compared to last year. Experts say further efforts are needed to bring monarchs back from their perilous decline, particularly by […]
Free pollinator seeds offered during Mil...
The Monarch Research Project, a nonprofit based in Marion, Iowa, is distributing free milkweed and pollinator seeds during “The Million Seed Giveaway.” They had a good crowd this past Saturday and hope for more of the same this upcoming Saturday, May 12. The pollinator seed mix was created by the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation with […]
Swallowtail update: so then this happene...
Just one day after posting about my backyard buddy, the black swallowtail caterpillar stopped moving. Hours later, it formed a silken “harness” and began its metamorphosis on the way to becoming a butterfly by forming a chrysalis. Related: How to tell apart swallowtail and monarch caterpillars I understood that swallowtails like to wander far from […]
Milkweed plants at Noelridge Mother’s Da
UPDATE (May 2, 2016): The city sent out a corrected press release to note that visitors don’t need to make a purchase to take home a free milkweed plant and also changes the schedule of events. Original post: Mother’s Day this year falls on Sunday, May 8, the earliest date possible for the celebration, which […]
Iowa central to proposed “Monarch Highwa
By Cindy Hadish/Homegrown Iowan CEDAR RAPIDS – Travelers along Interstate 35 would share the plus-1,500-mile route with some migrating friends if plans for a “Monarch Highway” take flight. Chip Taylor, founder and director of Monarch Watch and professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Kansas, described the proposal during his presentation Jan. […]
Where have all the monarchs gone?
Sad news about what some of us already suspected: the monarch butterfly population appears to be down this year at the insects’ overwintering site in Mexico. The Fall Migration News notes that only 10 trees were filled with the delicate orange and black butterflies this November at El Rosario Sanctuary, compared to 60 trees just […]