Special thanks to Canadian monarch tagging expert Don Davis for answering the MANY questions you asked! Don worked for many years with monarch scientist Dr. Urquhart, whom you'll read about below. Don's knowledge about monarchs and his enthusiasm for education have been a great help to this program. Thank you, Don!
Scientist Alfonso Alonso is now in Angangueo, Mexico. We were afraid he would not return in time to respond to your questions before school closes. Perhaps we will receive one last note from him before then, telling about his recent trip and his work there.
Here are your Questions and Don Davis' Answers:
From PENNSYLVANIA: Thank you for being willing to take the time to answer our questions. We have been studying a lot about the monarch and reading all of the information sent to us by Journey North. WE have enjoyed plotting the migration on our map-- the monarchs are in our area now but we haven't seen any here at school yet. We have two questions for you:
Q. Do the monarchs fly faster than other butterflies?
A. Monarchs fly faster than many species of butterflies because they are so large and because they are in such a hurry during the spring and fall migration. One monarch, tagged and released on day, was recaptured 265 miles away from where it had been released the previous day!
Q. Do monarchs communicate with each other? How? What kinds of things would they communicate about? Is anyone studying their communication?
A. There is a great deal we have to learn about how monarchs communicate. We know that at roosting sites they communicate through their coloration--by opening and closing their wings, they seem to be saying, "Don't land on me". It is also suspected that the male monarchs communicate with the female monarchs by emitting a scent, referred to as a "pheromone". In a famous experiment, Dr. Fred Urquhart placed twenty living monarchs in fine nylon bags and hid them behind clusters of leaves on the branches of trees. Within 20 minutes, free-flying migrants approached the trees, with some resting on neighbouring branches. A few flew into the cluster of leaves to come to rest on the nylon bags. He concluded that monarch butterflies do communicate in some manner as yet unknown.
Your friends in Mr. Rhodes Class Titus Elementary School hes00011@llpptn.ll.pbs.org
From NEW YORK: Paula Pereira is a fifth grader in Mrs. Willett's class in Locust Valley Intermediate School in Long Island, New York. She went to Macao on spring vacation and saw a monarch, she is sure. Is this possible? Macao is a Portugese city on the coast of China, about 200 miles west of Hong Kong bordering the South China Sea. We think the lattitude is about 22N and the longitude about 112E. Perhaps we should ask the expert if there are monarchs there. K12LOKMH@vaxc.hofstra.edu
A. It is entirely possible that Paula spotted a monarch butterfly at Macao, since they are found throughout the East Indies, including Tahiti, Sammoa, Tonga, New Caledonoia, New Guinea, Java and Sumatra. However, I do not know whether it was a stray butterfly of if monarchs are established there.
From LOUISIANA: Last Wednesday we saw a butterfly at school with the ends of its wings crimped. We wondered if it couldn't pump the fluid through its wings in time. Last year at the end of the fall we also saw some like this. The students are very distressed and want to help. Have you observed this? We have been collecting caterpillars ,feeding them, and then releasing the butterflies. In the fall we would like to tag some. Do you have any info? We have become curious to see the direction that the released butterflies go. The last 2 flew north. Now we are watching more carefully. We have not seen any more caterpillars lately. Janice Catledge MAWSE@jazz.ucc.uno.edu
A. After the monarch emerges from the pupa it must pump fluid into the wings and then remain hanging from the empty chrysalis until the wings are dry. Should the monarch fall off and onto the ground at some point during these first few critical hours, then the wings may becomes wrinkled and permanently deformed. There are also no doubt other reasons why a monarch may emerge with deformed wings (i.e. pupa touched or damaged shortly after it was formed, diseases, etc.)
From OHIO: The students at Cumberland School in DesPlaines, IL would like to find out the following information.
Q. We understand that if we touch a monarch's wing, we will take off part of the wing and it will no longer be able to fly, so how do you mark a monarch without touching the wings?
A. There is an old wives tale that if you touch a butterfly with your finger it will be unable to fly. Although you might removed a few scales, this will not hinder flight unless you damage the wing itself.
In the case of the monarch butterfly, they are a hardy lot. As you well know, insects have their skeletons on the outside. Their wings are also strong and not easily damaged when handled. In order for the tag to adhere -- using Dr. Urquhart's original method-- all of the scales had to be entirely removed from both sides of the front edge of the wing. Then the tage was folded in half and placed on the leading edge of the wing.
These tagged butterflies have had no trouble flying from Canada to Mexico! Monarchs captured in a net will be able to fly when released. A captured monarch will fly about in a jar and damage its wings.
Q. Will a monarch that is caught in a net be able to fly when it is released? If you put a monarch in a jar after you catch it, will the wing parts rub off against the jar?
A. One way of storing monarchs for short periods of time without damage is to fold their wings together and place them feet first into an envelope. If they are kept in the dark they will remain fairly still and not use up much energy. Better still, set them in a refrigerate until you need them. Just don't squeeze the envelope!
From MINNESOTA: We are the third grade class from Ms. Appel's class. We have some questions for you. 0276del@InforMNs.k12.MN.US Deephaven Elementary Q. How many monarchs are left in Mexico and where were they first discovered?
A. I'm not sure how many monarchs remain in Mexico after the bulk of them have headed north. The overwintering sites in Mexico became known to the world when one of Dr. Fred Urquhart's associates, Ken Brugger and his wife, Cathy finally found one of these sites in January 1975 near Angangueo, Michoacan, Mexico. This discovery was announced in the August, 1976 issue of National Geographic magazine.
Q. How do they eat?
A. Adult monarch butterflies sip nectar from flowering plants using a sucking tube, that resembles a soda straw, and is called a proboscis. You can see it coiled under its head when not in use.
From NEW YORK: Q. Do monarchs migrate to follow food or by instinct?
A. The monarch butterfly migrates for a number of reasons. It appears that they are genetically programmed to fly northward in the spring and southward in the fall. They must migrate in the fall to escape killing temperatures in the north. As well, flowering plants die so there is no food source for them. Since the monarch is the only member of this tropical butterfly family (Danaidae) to be found in the Eastern U.S. and Canada, this pattern of migration must have evolved over many thousands of years.
Mrs. Hallenbeck's Second Grade Class Charles F. Johnson Elementary School Endicott, NY cfjlib@transit.nyser.net
From PENNSYLVANIA: These questions come from first graders at Abington Friends School in Jenkintown, PA. Q. John Mutchler: How does the scientist keep butterflies in order to study them? In cages?
A. There are a number of techniques used for maintaining a colony of monarchs. in some cases, cages or large greenhouses are used. Many scientists keep individuals in refrigerators in various types of envelopes. The butterflies will stay alive, but not move very much. They are taken out periodically to warm up and feed.
Q. Suzanne Alvarez: Are monarchs and viceroys related to one another?
A. No. Monarchs are viceroys are from two different butterfly families and are not related.
Q. Gavin White: Why do monarchs need camouflage when they are poisonous?
A. Some types of birds eat monarch butterflies, particularly in California and Mexico. Hence, some camouflage might be useful. Roosting monarchs on a dead tree branch resemble dead leaves!
Q. And from a veterinarian parent, Dr.Sheldon Gerstenfeld: Does a butterfly have any memory of being a caterpillar? What happens to the central nervous system of the caterpillar during metamorphosis? How does the caterpillar's central nervous system compare to the adult butterfly? Relayed from Barbara Weaver: bweaver@mciunix. mciu.k12.pa.us
A. I suspect that the central nervous system control centre remains constant, but I have no proof of this. I also suspect that great changes take place in the central nervous system, allowing the milkweed-feeding larva with chewing, biting mouth parts to transform, sense nectar-filled flowers and suck up nectar with a proboscis. According to Dr. Urquhart: "Like a complex computer, the monarch nervous system brings about the transformation of a wormlike larva into a completely different organism, a butterfly."
From NEW YORK: Hi! We are fourth grade students from Crane School in Rochester, NY. We would like to ask you a few questions about monarchs. We have just joined the project. We are trying to ask the best questions we can. From Monique-
Q. "How do monarchs take care of themselves?
A. Monarchs take care of themselves by seeking nourishment, escaping from predators and seeking shelter during bad weather (folding their wings and resting in trees).
Q. Do monarchs rest other places besides bushes?
A. Monarchs seek trees and bushes which are in sheltered areas and which will protect them from strong winds.
Q. Can a female monarch have babies without the help of the male?
A. No, a male and female monarch must mate before the female can lay fertile eggs.
Q. Why do monarchs fly instead of walk?
A. Monarchs fly because it is quicker to move from one point to another. However, at the overwintering sites in Mexico, some monarchs are blown off of the trees during the winter. They are unable to fly as the weather is very cold, but they are able to shiver their wings to warm up and crawl up onto the vegetation. If they are able to "walk" up onto vegetation their chances of survival are greater than if they remained on the ground.
Q. How long is a monarchs proboscis?"
A. The proboscis, extended, is about one half inch long.
>From Katie and Erin- Q. " How many monarchs usually travel together?
A. Monarchs travel along, but may congregate together on cold nights during the fall migration.
Q. How long does the monarch live?
A. Ordinarily, a monarch lives about 30 days. During this time, they mate, lay eggs, and die. However, the last generation that emerges in the fall is n a state of "reproductive diapause". This means they are not fully developed and cannot yet reproduce. These migrate and live many months--long enough to travel to Mexico, spend the winter and then head back north the following spring.
>From Elizabeth- Q. Do monarch butterflies go to the same states in the same order each year?
A. Monarchs gradually repopulate the United States and Canada each spring, repopulating the southern states first as they head northward. One tagged monarch travelled 265 miles in 24 hours. I'm not certain if monarchs fly between states, but this is highly probably in their search for food and milkweed on which to lay eggs. They may also travel long distances when blown off course by winds.
from Heather- Q. Why do monarch group in colonies?
A. It is suspected that there may be good reasons for the monarchs to form colonies. For example, if a branch is weighted down with monarchs it may sway in the wind but probably will not be whipped about. Hence some survival value in staying together in a group.
From NEW YORK: Hi, I am a fifth grade student at the Holley Central School, about 30 miles west of Rochester, NY. We have been tracking the migrating monarchs. Q. My question is what prevents the butterflies' wings from getting ripped on their long journey?
A. The wing membrane on the monarch's wings are very strong and covered with scales. Sometimes their wings do get worn and ripped on branches, weed stems, and so on. I suspect that they have developed flight strategies such as soaring to improve mileage and reduce the wear and tear on their wings. They also protect their wings by knowing when they should take cover during bad weather.
ASOUTHWI@ACSpr1.acs.Brockport.edu
From WASHINGTON: Q. Where did the name Monarch Butterfly come from?
A. Early settler who came to North America, and who were impressed with its color and size, named this butterfly the "monarch" after King William, Prince of Orange. He was the stateholder of Holland and later King of England.
Q. Do monarchs like to fly high or close to the ground?
A. On one hand, it appears that monarch generally stay fairly close to the ground, even as they cross hills and mountains. However, Dr. David Gibo of Erindale College, University of Toronto, has discovered that monarchs use a number of flight strategies. From his ultra light aircraft he has seen monarchs flying many hundreds of feet in the air.
Q. What's the powder on it's wings made of?
A. The powder on the wings consists of scales, like scales on a fish.
Q. What is the monarchs strangest enemies?
A. It was reported in a scientific paper that mice in Mexico were eating monarchs! Some fellow insects, such as the praying mantis, also feed on monarchs.
Q. Where do they like to live most?
A. Monarchs prefer to live in areas that can meet their nutritional and reproductive needs. That is, in places where there is adequate food and habitat for producing young.
Questions by, Jacki, Morgen, Marc, Sean, Jessica, Nicole and Rachel Firgrove Naturalists, Puyallup, WA MBEB1215@delphi.com
From OHIO: The kindergarten at Hamilton Math/Science/environmental Alternative School in Columbus, Ohio have been watching everyday for the Monarchs to arrive. In the Fall we had a Monarch caterpillar in our classroom. After it became a butterfly we let it go in our garden. We think it went to Mexico. We do have some questions, if you could answer them for us we would be very happy.
Q. Why do Monarchs migrate to Mexico instead of somewhere else?
A. The monarch migration to and from Mexico evolved over thousands of years. The Danaidae are a tropical butterfly family so in migrating south, they may be actually returning to their ancestral home. The temperatures at the overwintering sites in Mexico hover at about freezing -- cold enough to induce dormancy so that the butterflies remain immobile and save energy for their spring migration, while not being cold enough to kill the butterflies.
Q. Do Monarch butterfly eggs hatch in Mexico?
A. Is suspect that monarch butterfly eggs are laid and hatched in Mexico as there are at least 59 species of milkweed in Mexico. However, I have no firm information about this.
Q. How do butterflies lay their eggs?
A. Monarch butterflies usually lay a single egg on the underside of a suitable fresh young milkweed leaf. Sensing a suitable leaf with her feet, the monarch bends the tip of her abdomen under the leaf and oviposits one egg.
Q. Does the Monarch sleep in any kind of weather?
A. Monarchs roost during cold weather (they can't fly at temperatures much below 55 degrees F.), during cloudy weather and when inclement weather 9ie rain) is anticipated.
Q. Since people spray to kill weeds is the monarch close to becoming endangered?
A. The monarch butterfly is not endangered but it has been suggested that the migration phenomenon might be. Hazards to its survival might be severe weather such as a killing frost in Mexico and the continuing loss of habitat throughout North America. Pesticides and herbicides no doubt play a negative role.
Q. Do milkweed plants need a lot of water to grow tall? Does how high the milkweed grow depend on the amount of water it gets?
A. Milkweed plants require a sufficient supply of water. Fortunately, they have deep roots that help in this regard. There are a great many species of milkweed. The common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca, grows to be about 3 feet tall. Some species are very small in size while others are tree- like and can grow to be 9 or 10 feet tall!
Thank you for answering our questions. Sincerely, Room 4 Kindergarten Hamilton Alternative School Barbara Gessaman bgasaman@freenet.columbus.oh.us Columbus,Ohio
From NEW YORK: Our Questions for Monarch Expert: Q. In studies, what have you found to be the longest life span of the monarch?
A. Dr. Urquhart notes that monarchs in the lab have lived from 8-10 months. However, some of his associates have kept them alive for as long as 12 months.
Q. Does its speed change as it ages, similar to humans?
A. As a monarch ages and the condition of the wings deteriorates no doubt the ability to fly also deteriorates.
Mrs. Berger's Class East Hills School, Roslyn, New York K12ROBZJ@vaxc.hofstra.edu
From NEW YORK: Q. Yajiv Shiwmangal caught a monarch on a flower and felt it in his hand. Then he let it go. It left powdery stuff on his hand. Is that scales or pollen?
A. That would be scales. See earlier remarks about butterfly scales.
Ms. Babcock's Tuesday Class Alden Terrace School, Elmont, New York k12elbac@vaxc.hofstra.edu
Journey North 125 North First Street Minneapolis, Minnesota 55401 Phone: (612)339-6959