2010 May Shape Up As One Of Worst On Record For Monarch Butterflies

[hatrack]

Monarch butterflies seem to be facing yet another year of declining numbers as they battle against climate change and the loss of habitat. And this one could be one of the worst ever, a leading entomologist said. The odds may be against monarch butterflies resurging to normal population levels this year, worries entomologist Chip Taylor and director of Monarch Watch at the University of Kansas-Lawrence.

The monarch butterfly population that went to Mexico this past winter was the smallest overwintering population ever, said Taylor. And then the butterflies were hit this past winter with three massive storms, including a hail storm followed by 15 inches of rain. Taylor estimates that the population could have been reduced by at least 50 per cent and perhaps considerably more. “I’m really concerned,” said Taylor. “This means the numbers going to Texas (the first reproductive stop on their long migration back to Ontario) are going to be down.” And down in a big way. That translates into a smaller group of butterflies trying to lay eggs and rebuild the population base. “The problem is the numbers are so small the chance of a really strong recovery is not great.”

Last year monarch butterflies found themselves facing bad conditions in Texas because of hot temperatures. The egg-laying population died off really fast, and for those that survived the number of eggs laid was substantially down. This year, however, conditions in Texas are good: Vegetation is lush and the temperature is cool. Reproduction should be quite good, Taylor said. But will it be good enough to return to healthy numbers? Highly debatable, said Taylor. “We’ve been below the long-term average for six years,” he said.

It takes three or four generations of monarchs to reach Canada. Then in the fall, that final generation returns to Mexico where they overwinter before starting the whole reproduction process over again.

EDIT

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/788062--monarch-butterflies-may-face-one-of-worst-years-ever

[Newest Reality]

1. Butterflies, bats & bees, etc., etc. Indcations. - NT

[mike_c]

2. keep in mind though that populations can build quickly during the return migration...

...IF conditions are exceptionally good, i.e. if the weather is good, plenty of Asclepias available, low predation, and they don't run into a lot of non-target pesticide effects. Monarch populations have undoubtedly fluctuated greatly in the past, before we began keeping records, simply because the overwintering populations are under such stress even during good years, and bad winter weather happens occasionally.

So monarch populations can rebound quite quickly IF they are not serially hammered again and again during the return migrations. That is the key.

[xxqqqzme]

3. Thank you for posting this.

So much is degrading so fast.

[DCKit]

4. We can blame (and I did) my BIL, in part

Shit-head mowed part of the property never mowed before last summer, covered with milkweed and infested with caterpillars.

I let him know I was not impressed with his tractor driving, ecology destroying skills. And he fucked up the tractor, to boot.

The milkweed will be allowed to grow this year, without interference.

Now, if the ignorant dicks in Mexico who are building malls on the monarch's wintering grounds (by tourists looking at monarchs) are brought to heel, they may have a chance.

[The Backlash Cometh]

5. They're being devasted by the OE or EO spore, too.

I just don't see how they're going to make it.

[pscot]

6. One of these years is going to turn out

to be the worst on record for humans. And everyone will act really shocked, like they didn't know it was coming.

[NNadir]

7. One can plant milkweed. One of the more magical moments of my son's childhood is when

we went to the local New Jersey park for a nature lecture and were given milkweed leaves with Monarch eggs on it.

When they hatched, we gathered milkweed from around here for weeks and raised the caterpillar until it pupated.

Then came the day that the butterfly emerged and we released it into the wild.

It was really wonderful.

I vowed to plant milkweed around the house, but never actually did it.

Beautiful animals, they.

[CountAllVotes]

8. gosh, years ago

My late father said that Monarch butterflies used to be "all over the place". He'd noted the decline and this was in the 1970s.

I guess this is another wonderful being that we will lose someday in the not too distant future. :( :( :(

:dem: :kick: