A Look at the Science of Insect Conservation
As human-driven changes to ecosystems drive insect declines on both local and perhaps global scales, entomologists and ecologists are hard at work building the research-based foundations necessary for managed insect-conservation efforts.
How Milkweed Location Influences Monarch Egg-Laying and Survival
A study examining monarch butterflies' preferences for laying eggs on milkweed in cropland, open ground, or prairie—as well as predation rates on eggs in those settings—offers some mixed signals for monarch-conservation efforts.
Citizen Science Delivers “Unprecedented View” of Monarch Butterfly Parasitoids
Thanks to citizen volunteers, scientists now know more than ever about the flies that attack monarch butterfly caterpillars. Since 1999, volunteers participating in the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project have collected […]
Tagging Monarch Butterflies Helps Track Their Migration
By Kevin Fitzgerald Every autumn, the Migration Festival takes place at Lighthouse Point on the seacoast of Connecticut near New Haven. It’s a celebration of flying creatures: birds, butterflies, and […]
Scientists Document Illegal Logging in Monarch Butterfly Reserve by Using Drones and Satellite Photos
By Richard Levine Today I wrote a guest article for the Oxford University Press Blog. The monarch butterfly is famous for its migratory route, which can be as long as […]
Root Fungi on Milkweed Affects Monarch Butterfly Health
It’s been known for some time that toxins produced by milkweed plants can protect monarch butterlfy caterpillars from predators, such as birds, and from various parasites. Now researchers from the […]
New Monarch Butterfly Studies May Provide Reasons for Optimism
Eight new articles on monarch butterflies were published today in the Annals of the Entomological Society of America. “This group of papers is intended to give us the latest and […]
Planting the Wrong Kind of Milkweed May Harm Monarch Butterflies
Good intentions don't always produce good results. Planting tropical milkweed may not be helpful to US monarch butterflies.
Study Finds Genes that Control Monarch Butterfly Coloration and Migration
The monarch butterfly is one of the most iconic insects in the world, best known for its distinct orange and black wings and a spectacular annual mass migration across North […]
Purdue University’s Jonathan Neal Writes about Declining Monarch Population
At his Living With Insects Blog, Jonathan Neal links to a Washington Post interview with Lepidopterist Lincoln Brower about declining populations of the monarch butterfly, and he writes about some […]
Washington State Prisoners Raise and Release Monarch Butterflies
Some recent news article describe how prison inmates in Washington State are participating in a program that helps track the migration of monarch butterflies. The prisoners, who call themselves “the […]