scholarly journals High Survivorship of First-Generation Monarch Butterfly Eggs to Third Instar Associated with a Diverse Arthropod Community

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 567
Author(s):  
Misty Stevenson ◽  
Kalynn L. Hudman ◽  
Alyx Scott ◽  
Kelsey Contreras ◽  
Jeffrey G. Kopachena
Keyword(s):  
Host Plants ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Danaus Plexippus ◽  
Monarch Butterfly ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
North Texas ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Area Of Occupancy ◽  
Predator Abundance ◽  
A Site

Based on surveys of winter roost sites, the eastern migratory population of the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) in North America appears to have declined in the last 20 years and this has prompted the implementation of numerous conservation strategies. However, there is little information on the survivorship of first-generation monarchs in the core area of occupancy in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana where overwinter population recovery begins. The purpose of this study was to determine the survivorship of first-generation eggs to third instars at a site in north Texas and to evaluate host plant arthropods for their effect on survivorship. Survivorship to third instar averaged 13.4% and varied from 11.7% to 15.6% over three years. The host plants harbored 77 arthropod taxa, including 27 predatory taxa. Despite their abundance, neither predator abundance nor predator richness predicted monarch survival. However, host plants upon which monarchs survived often harbored higher numbers of non-predatory arthropod taxa and more individuals of non-predatory taxa. These results suggest that ecological processes may have buffered the effects of predators and improved monarch survival in our study. The creation of diverse functional arthropod communities should be considered for effective monarch conservation, particularly in southern latitudes.

scholarly journals High Survivorship of First-generation Monarch Butterfly Eggs and Larvae Associated with a Diverse Arthropod Community

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Misty Stevenson ◽  
Kalynn L. Hudman ◽  
Alyx Scott ◽  
Kelsey Contreras ◽  
Jeffrey G. Kopachena
Keyword(s):  
Host Plants ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Danaus Plexippus ◽  
Monarch Butterfly ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
North Texas ◽  
Area Of Occupancy ◽  
Predator Abundance ◽  
A Site ◽  
Eggs And Larvae

The eastern migratory population of the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) in North America has declined by over 80% in the last 20 years, prompting the implementation of numerous conservation strategies. However, there is little information on the survivorship of first-generation monarchs in the core area of occupancy in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana where overwinter population recovery begins. The purpose of this study was to determine the survivorship of first-generation eggs to third instars at a site in north Texas and to evaluate host plant arthropods for their effect on survivorship. Survivorship to third instar averaged 13.4% and varied from 11.7% to 15.6% over three years. The host plants harbored 77 arthropod taxa, including 27 predatory taxa. Despite their abundance, neither predator abundance nor predator richness predicted monarch survival. However, host plants upon which monarchs survived often harbored higher numbers of non-predatory arthropod taxa and more individuals of non-predatory taxa. These results indicate that indirect top-down effects improved monarch survival in our study. The creation of diverse functional arthropod communities should be considered for effective monarch conservation, particularly in southern latitudes.

Population and General Biology of Non-Reproductive Colonies of the Monarch Butterfly, Danaus Plexippus (L.) (Lepidoptera: Danaidae) in New South Wales.

1984 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 663 ◽  
Author(s):  
DG James
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
Feeding Activity ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Danaus Plexippus ◽  
Monarch Butterfly ◽  
Sexually Active ◽  
General Biology ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Monarch Butterfly Danaus Plexippus ◽  
A Site

Data were obtained on population and general biology of three non-reproductive overwintering colonies ofthe monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus (Danaidae) during April-August in 1980,1981 and 1982 at a site near Camden in New South Wales. A mark, release and recapture study showed that the 1981 colony was largely stable and the 1982 colony was migratory. In 1980 and 1981 populations comprised less than 500 individuals but in 1982 a peak population of 3500 butterflies was recorded. Males were sexually active throughout clustering. Most females were mated but showed no ovarian development. Periods of flight and feeding activity were common. The condition of most butterflies did not deteriorate markedly during clustering. Comparisons between winter non-reproductive monarch populations in North America and Australia are discussed.

scholarly journals Characterizing New Wintering Sites for Monarch Butterfly Colonies in Sierra Nevada, Mexico

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 384
Author(s):  
Ramiro Pérez-Miranda ◽  
Víctor Javier Arriola-Padilla ◽  
Martín Enrique Romero-Sanchez
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Protected Areas ◽  
Sierra Nevada ◽  
Danaus Plexippus ◽  
Monarch Butterfly ◽  
Field Trips ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
National Commission ◽  
Butterfly Population

Every year, Danaus plexippus (Linnaeus, 1758) travels to hibernate in oyamel fir forests located between the limits of the states of Michoacán and Mexico in Mexico. Climate change and anthropogenic actions are diminishing oyamel fir forests in Mexico, putting pressure on the habitats of monarch butterflies. In the last decade, new colonies outside their usual range have been predicted through modeling and reported by the National Commission on Protected Areas of Mexico. The objectives of the study were to recover information on the historical and new hibernation sites, reported or modeled, from different literature sources. We also aimed to perform a bioclimatic and forest biometric characterization of new monarch butterfly colonies located in Sierra Nevada in Mexico to provide information to aid in conservation strategies for the monarch butterfly population. We conducted field trips to georeference the colonies at sites located in the Atlautla municipality in Mexico State. Climatic, topographic, and forest biometric variables were used to characterize the sites physically. It was found that the butterfly’s roosts occurred at a higher elevation than those recorded by other sources. The locations where the monarch’s colonies were established, in the east of Mexico State, provide information relevant to defining and developing policies for their conservation.

scholarly journals Monarch butterfly and milkweed declines substantially predate the use of genetically modified crops

2019 ◽  
Vol 116 (8) ◽  
pp. 3006-3011 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. H. Boyle ◽  
H. J. Dalgleish ◽  
J. R. Puzey
Keyword(s):  
Genetically Modified ◽  
Danaus Plexippus ◽  
Genetically Modified Crops ◽  
Monarch Butterfly ◽  
The United States ◽  
Gm Crops ◽  
Herbicide Resistant ◽  
The Past ◽  
Scientific Attention ◽  
Herbicide Use

Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) decline over the past 25 years has received considerable public and scientific attention, in large part because its decline, and that of its milkweed (Asclepias spp.) host plant, have been linked to genetically modified (GM) crops and associated herbicide use. Here, we use museum and herbaria specimens to extend our knowledge of the dynamics of both monarchs and milkweeds in the United States to more than a century, from 1900 to 2016. We show that both monarchs and milkweeds increased during the early 20th century and that recent declines are actually part of a much longer-term decline in both monarchs and milkweed beginning around 1950. Herbicide-resistant crops, therefore, are clearly not the only culprit and, likely, not even the primary culprit: Not only did monarch and milkweed declines begin decades before GM crops were introduced, but other variables, particularly a decline in the number of farms, predict common milkweed trends more strongly over the period studied here.

Mangrove community response to subsidence inflicted sea level change in Car Nicobar Island, India

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (5) ◽  
pp. 419-427
Author(s):  
Nehru Prabakaran
Keyword(s):  
Sea Level ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Sea Level Change ◽  
Community Response ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Nicobar Island ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Mangrove Species ◽  
Level Change ◽  
Species Specific

AbstractThe inter-specific resilience among mangrove species to sea level rise (SLR) is a key to design conservation strategies for this economically important ecosystem that is among the most vulnerable to SLR. Tectonic processes can cause sudden increases or drops in sea level due to subsidence or uplift of the land surface, which can also provide insights for the mangrove community responses to rapid sea level change. This study aimed to investigate the responses of mangrove species to rapid SLR caused by land subsidence of 1.1 m during the 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake at Car Nicobar Island. The Rhizophora spp. showed remarkable resilience to this rapid SLR, while the landward mangrove vegetation comprising Bruguiera spp., Lumnitzera spp., Sonneratia spp. etc., were unable to survive. Also, Rhizophora spp. establishment in the previous landward mangrove zones was more rapid than the landward mangrove species establishment in the previous terrestrial zones. The observed resilience of Rhizophora spp. may be due to the local specific geological legacy and species-specific ecological processes. However, further studies focusing on microcosm experiments to understand the Rhizophora spp. resilience to rapid SLR at the study site is required to strengthen these observations.

DIETS OF THREE COMMON GRASSHOPPERS (ORTHOPTERA: ACRIDIDAE) INHABITING DESERT GRASSLAND

1988 ◽  
Vol 120 (5) ◽  
pp. 415-424 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. E. Pfadt ◽  
J. A. Lockwood ◽  
T. M. Foppe
Keyword(s):  
Host Plants ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Bouteloua Gracilis ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Mixed Diet ◽  
Desert Grassland ◽  
Grasshopper Species ◽  
Erodium Cicutarium ◽  
A Site

AbstractExamination of crop contents of three species of grasshoppers in outbreak densities on desert grassland of eastern Arizona revealed that all three were ingesting a mixed diet of plants. Crops of nymphal and adult Aulocara elliotti (Thomas) contained an average of 67 and 93% dry weight of grass, respectively, placing this species in both the mixed graminivorous and the graminivorous categories. The preferred host plant of A. elliotti was Bouteloua gracilis (H.B.K.) Lag. but it was not an essential item, as a large population developed in a site where this grass was virtually lacking but other perennial grasses were present. Crops of nymphs and adults of both Melanoplus sanguinipes (Fabricius) and M. cuneatus Scudder contained chiefly forbs (88–100% of dry weight). The principal host plants were Erodium cicutarium (L.) L’Hér., Lupinus brevicaulis Wats., Microsteris gracilis (Hook.) Greene, and Plantago purshii Roem. & Schult. Both species of Melanoplus fit into the forbivorous category and evidence indicated they were in competition with each other for food. All three grasshopper species showed preferences for particular plant species and as a consequence had significantly different frequencies of plant taxa in their crop contents from what were present in the field.

scholarly journals Pretty Picky for a Generalist: Impacts of Toxicity and Nutritional Quality on Mantid Prey Processing

2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 626-632 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamie L. Rafter ◽  
Justin F. Vendettuoli ◽  
Liahna Gonda-King ◽  
Daniel Niesen ◽  
Navindra P. Seeram ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
C:N Ratio ◽  
Danaus Plexippus ◽  
Monarch Butterfly ◽  
The Body ◽  
Gut Contents ◽  
Corn Borers ◽  
Body Tissues ◽  
Heterogeneous Quality ◽  
Behavioral Trials

Abstract Prey have evolved a number of defenses against predation, and predators have developed means of countering these protective measures. Although caterpillars of the monarch butterfly,Danaus plexippus L., are defended by cardenolides sequestered from their host plants, the Chinese mantidTenodera sinensis Saussure guts the caterpillar before consuming the rest of the body. We hypothesized that this gutting behavior might be driven by the heterogeneous quality of prey tissue with respect to toxicity and/or nutrients. We conducted behavioral trials in which mantids were offered cardenolide-containing and cardenolide-freeD. plexippus caterpillars and butterflies. In addition, we fed mantids starved and unstarvedD. plexippus caterpillars from each cardenolide treatment and nontoxicOstrinia nubilalis Hübner caterpillars. These trials were coupled with elemental analysis of the gut and body tissues of bothD. plexippus caterpillars and corn borers. Cardenolides did not affect mantid behavior: mantids gutted both cardenolide-containing and cardenolide-free caterpillars. In contrast, mantids consumed bothO. nubilalis and starvedD. plexippus caterpillars entirely.Danaus plexippus body tissue has a lower C:N ratio than their gut contents, whileO. nubilalis have similar ratios; gutting may reflect the mantid’s ability to regulate nutrient uptake. Our results suggest that post-capture prey processing by mantids is likely driven by a sophisticated assessment of resource quality.

scholarly journals Cardenolides, toxicity, and the costs of sequestration in the coevolutionary interaction between monarchs and milkweeds

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (16) ◽  
pp. e2024463118
Author(s):  
Anurag A. Agrawal ◽  
Katalin Böröczky ◽  
Meena Haribal ◽  
Amy P. Hastings ◽  
Ronald A. White ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Danaus Plexippus ◽  
Monarch Butterfly ◽  
Chemical Defenses ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Asclepias Curassavica ◽  
Plant Chemical ◽  
Whole Plants ◽  
Benefits And Costs

For highly specialized insect herbivores, plant chemical defenses are often co-opted as cues for oviposition and sequestration. In such interactions, can plants evolve novel defenses, pushing herbivores to trade off benefits of specialization with costs of coping with toxins? We tested how variation in milkweed toxins (cardenolides) impacted monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) growth, sequestration, and oviposition when consuming tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica), one of two critical host plants worldwide. The most abundant leaf toxin, highly apolar and thiazolidine ring–containing voruscharin, accounted for 40% of leaf cardenolides, negatively predicted caterpillar growth, and was not sequestered. Using whole plants and purified voruscharin, we show that monarch caterpillars convert voruscharin to calotropin and calactin in vivo, imposing a burden on growth. As shown by in vitro experiments, this conversion is facilitated by temperature and alkaline pH. We next employed toxin-target site experiments with isolated cardenolides and the monarch’s neural Na+/K+-ATPase, revealing that voruscharin is highly inhibitory compared with several standards and sequestered cardenolides. The monarch’s typical >50-fold enhanced resistance to cardenolides compared with sensitive animals was absent for voruscharin, suggesting highly specific plant defense. Finally, oviposition was greatest on intermediate cardenolide plants, supporting the notion of a trade-off between benefits and costs of sequestration for this highly specialized herbivore. There is apparently ample opportunity for continued coevolution between monarchs and milkweeds, although the diffuse nature of the interaction, due to migration and interaction with multiple milkweeds, may limit the ability of monarchs to counteradapt.

Geo-Informatics for Land Use and Biodiversity Studies

2011 ◽  
pp. 52-77
Author(s):  
P. K. Joshi ◽  
Neena Priyanka
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Holistic Understanding ◽  
Global Positioning ◽  
Geospatial Tools ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Impact On Biodiversity

The dynamics of land use/land cover (LU/LC) is a manifestation of the cyclic correlation among the kind and magnitude of causes, impacts, responses and resulting ecological processes of the ecosystem. Thus, the holistic understanding of the complex mechanisms that control LU/LC requires synergetic adoption of measurement approaches, addressing issues, and identifying drivers of change and state of art technologies for mitigation measures. As the spatio-temporal heterogeneity of the LU/LC increases, its impact on biodiversity becomes even more difficult to anticipate. Thus, in order to understand the spatio-temporal dynamics of change in landscape and its relationship to biodiversity, it is necessary to reliably identify and quantify the indicators of change. In addition, it is also important to have better understanding of the technologies and techniques that serve as complimentary tool for land mitigation and conservation planning. Against this background, the chapter aims to synthesize LU/LC studies worldwide and their impacts on biodiversity. This chapter explores identification and analysis of key natural, socio-economic and regulatory drivers for LU/LC. Finally, it attempts to collate some LU/LC studies involving usage of geospatial tools, such as satellite remote sensing, Geographic Information System (GIS), Global Positioning System (GPS), and integrative tools, besides conventional approaches that could assist decision makers, land managers, stakeholders and researchers in better management and formulation of conservation strategies based on scientific grounds.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document