Photo source: sgbrown aka-Rockcreek Photography
The monarch butterfly is truly one of the most beautiful
butterflies in the world. They can be seen throughout North, South and Central
America. They can also be found as far as Australia, India, parts of Western
Europe and some islands in the Pacific.
Their beautiful orange wings have black veins that reach out
from the body to the edge of their wings. Each wing is trimmed in black with
white spots. The average wing span of the monarch is 4 to 5 inches and the female
monarch has thicker veins in their wings than the males.
The bright color of the monarch is used as a warning to
predators that they are poisonous. Eating a monarch may not kill the predator,
but it will make them not ever want to eat another one! Their toxin comes from
eating the milkweed plant, which is toxic to most animals.
The milkweed plant is the food source for the monarch caterpillar.
The monarch butterfly will only lay her eggs on varieties of milkweed plants.
Once the eggs hatch, the caterpillar will eat the leaves of the plant, thus
ingesting the toxin.
Here in lies the problem. Milkweed plants are disappearing.
You used to see them growing wild in fields or along the sides of the road, but
no so much anymore. More and more fields are being planted with genetically
altered crops, such as corn, especially along what is called the “corn belt” in
the central part of the US, which is part of the monarch butterflies migration
route.
These genetically altered crops are being sprayed with
strong herbicides which are not only killing the “weeds” but every other kind
of wildflower in their path. Much of these herbicides are falling on the
milkweed plants that grow along the edges of these fields, thus killing them
off. The monarch butterfly will only lay her eggs on milkweed plants.
In fall, the monarch butterfly begins its migration to parts
of California and Central Mexico. Many of them will travel over 2000 miles to
reach their destination. A study at the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary in
Michoacan, Mexico has found that the number of butterflies migrating there has
fallen from over a billion to only around 5 million. That is a huge reduction!
Scientist are afraid that if this reduction continues, in another 20 years
there may be no monarch butterflies left.
Would you be willing to help the monarch butterfly
population? It is as simple as planting some milkweed in your yard. Milkweed is
an easy plant to grow and is drought tolerant. Planting some milkweed will give
the monarch more places to deposit their eggs and get the population of these
beautiful butterflies back to where it should be.
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