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Summer 2019 Bitterroot Monarch Project Update

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Summer 2019 Bitterroot Monarch Project Update

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Summer 2019 Bitterroot Monarch Project Update

October 15, 2019

Maggie Hirschauer describes milkweed surveys, monarch butterfly captive rearing, tagging, and release activities this summer.

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The Bitterroot Monarch Project started in response to the continued decline of the western monarch butterfly

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Monarch populations in North America follow two generalized migrations routes on either side of the continental divide

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Monarch butterflies feed on nectar from many different wildflowers but only lay eggs on milkweed (Asclepias), a required food source for their larvae.

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When monitoring milkweed, we walked a grid pattern searching all surfaces of every milkweed plant for signs of monarchs.

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Showy milkweed is the dominant species in the region, existing on private and public lands, including roadsides, gardens, and federally designated wilderness areas.

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Monarch adults eclosed, or emerged, from their chrysalides and hung with their wings down

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Between June and September, volunteers and I collectively surveyed over 19,000 ramets of showy milkweed, comprising over 100 hours.

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I surveyed milkweed for six weeks before I found any signs of monarchs, yet several other insect eggs caught my attention.

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Monarchs complete eight life stages: egg, five larval stages (instars), pupa, and adult.

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Monarchs remain in their chrysalides for 9 - 13 days. Chrysalides are typically bright green with golden spots and a golden ringed “crown” around the top.

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Tachinid flies parasitized and killed all larvae collected from the Experimental Garden on MPG Ranch.

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After 35 days of feeding, molting, and making frass, thirteen captive-raised monarchs were tagged and released in mid-August

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Conservation Threats in the Bitterroot Valley

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MPG Ranch proved to be an important site for monarchs this year, hosting 12 of the 13 captive-reared and released monarchs

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References

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References 2

Related Research Updates

2021 Bitterroot Monarch Project Update

February 11th, 2022

By: Maggie Hirschauer

Milkweed Fungal Associates: Diversity in Soil, Plants and Insects

May 3rd, 2018

By: Beau Larkin

Related Dispatches

February 2020 Western Monarch Project Update

February 6th, 2020

By: Maggie Hirschauer

MPG Monarch Butterfly Monitoring

August 9th, 2019

By: Staff

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