How
Can Monarchs Feed in Pecan Trees?
Solve the Mystery!
"Monarchs
are interested in drinking fluids containing sugar during their migration,"
says Dr. Bill Calvert. "There are lots of aphids and lots of pecans
in Texas. Monarchs have been known to 'feed' ('take-in sugar' would be
a better way to describe it), on honeydew deposited by aphids on pecan
leaves. Honeydew-coated pecan leaves, yum!"
Honeydew is a waste product. It is
sweet because it contains sugar. Aphids excrete the sugar their bodies
do not need. EVERYTHING is recycled in nature!
Aphids
on Leaf
(Click to view.)
|
|
Click image to see the honeydew drop! |
|
For
Your Science Journal
- Draw the foodchain: Begin
with the sun and draw a picture of this food chain. What pathway does
the energy travel from the sun to the monarch butterfly? Draw another
picture and compare the energy pathway when a monarch drinks nectar
from a flower.
- Think like a scientist: Careful scientists
always keep an open mind. Assumptions can lead to the wrong conclusion.
They can cause people to overlook what is truly taking place. Describe
how this is true using the example above. Have you ever caught yourself
making a wrong assumption?
|