OpenTube

We Were Wrong About What's Killing Monarchs

Animalogic

86,041 views

The great monarch migration is one of the most impressive events in nature. A tiny butterfly flies thousands of miles from Canada and the Northern US to Mexico to spend overwinter. But recently, fewer and fewer monarchs are completing the trip. In this episode we investigate the the causes of these incomplete migrations to try to figure out how to help monarchs.

00:00 The Impossible Migration
00:58 The Monarch Collapse & Community Efforts
02:01 Insects as Earth's Greatest Migrators
03:57 The Eastern Monarch & The "Super Generation"
04:57 Milkweed & The Migration Relay Race
05:50 How Do They Find Mexico? Vector vs. True Navigation
06:34 Field Tracking in Toronto & Project Monarch
08:00 Wind Tunnel Experiments: Sun Compasses & Antennas
09:32 The Four Horsemen of the Monarch-Pocalypse
09:59 Tropical Milkweed & Disrupted Cues
10:50 The OE Parasite ("Glitter") & Native Plant Solutions
12:19 Raising Caterpillars Indoors: Good Intentions vs. Science
13:46 Rising Temperatures, Thermals, & Flirting Traps
14:47 Loss of Nectar Corridors
15:09 Adapting to Climate Change: A New Wintering Ground?
16:46 How You Can Help & Outro

Check out Dr. Norris' Research:
uoguelph.ca/ib/norris

Check out Dr. Fedorka's Research:
https://sciences.ucf.edu/biology/pers...

Download Project Monarch:
https://swmonarchs.org/ProjectMonarch...

Some Resources on which plants to feed the monarchs:
https://www.rbg.ca/planting-for-monar...
https://xerces.org/sites/default/file...
https://monarchjointventure.org/get-i...

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#monarchbutterfly #butterfly #insects #entomology #animals #wildlife #nature #naturedocumentary #animaldocumentary

20 Comments

@daniellanctot6548 1 day ago (edited)

Me: ”Well, I don’t see what is wrong with poisoning Monarchs?”
Someone: [Whispers in my ear]
Me: ”What do you mean: BUTTERFLIES?”

@leost152 1 day ago

In 1995, in Michoacán (Mexico), I saw the monarch butterfly in the pine trees, and it is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. There were so many monarch butterflies perched there that it was impossible to make them out until one got close to the tree. From a distance, the pines looked like deciduous trees. A fleeting shaft of light cut through the trees, suddenly revealing the monarchs' brilliant colors as they passed through it, all accompanied by the wonderful scent of pine needles.

@christajennings3828 1 day ago

We need to not just plant native milkweed, but also native nectar plants, to feed the reproducing adults, and also the newly emerged adults, to prepare them for migration. They can't make the trip on an empty tank.

@Cardboardangele 1 day ago

Until my father died, my mother was known as the neighborhood butterfly lady because she had several giant milkweed bushes and had a lil butterfly nursery on our lanai. (Florida). When he died, she lost her passion for gardening. :/ But we still see many monarchs on the bushes that the last hurricane didn't take.

@Kasaaz 1 day ago (edited)

I will say that this spring I saw more dragonflies than I have in the last 10 years here in CT. Then in September I saw far more butterflies than I have in a long while as well. I don't know if the dragonfly boom in the spring led to less smaller insects that might interfere with some stage or something.
Edit: It has been nice as the mosquito population has been WAY down this summer.

@ATalk2020 1 day ago

"Nobody knows why the monarchs are dying" I guess they havent seen the deforestation videos from Mexico of them chopping down trees with possibly hundreds of thousands of monarchs in them....

@DavidSix-nd6ht 1 day ago

We have a bunch of milkweed and see monarch caterpillars each year, but never chrysalises. This year we donated all our caterpillars to people with indoor mesh houses to safely form chrysalises. In total we got a dozen adults safely released! Plus a special bonus of a single chrysalis on our front porch for a baker’s dozen!

@FioreCiliegia 1 day ago

Ive got a female in hospice care in my mini greenhouse right now because her wings and one leg didn’t form properly. But shes still spunky and im hoping I can give her a good life.

@kaybrarian 1 day ago

It is Oct 2, and I work at a garden center in MN. I’ve seen lots of deceased butterflies in the past weeks. Today a monarch was extremely interested in a particular flower, so I chose not to disturb the flower. The poor dear will never get to Mexico, but it is not my place to take away its dinner. ❤

@nicademusx6624 14 hours ago

Please petition to have the edges of highways from their northern range to their southern destination planted with native milkweed, thus allowing a direct path for them to follow.

@EverettvonNord 1 day ago (edited)

I believe "The Monarch !" explains most of this, telling his back story (in The Venture bros cartoon).

@generaljimmies3429 1 day ago

Last year I was able to raise and release 100 Monarchs

@jamesdietz29 1 day ago

I let any and all milkweed grow in our yard, thankfully none of them are the tropical kind. I even encourage people to take a pod or two in the fall so they might get it growing in their yards.

@MrDee001 1 day ago

This past year I had planted a lot of milkweed varieties in order to poison the invasive lantern flies. I noticed a lot more butterflies.

@CorgiStudio 1 day ago

16:59 I highly recommend looking for local botany clubs, reaching out to your closest University farming extension, and even your local nature centres!

The milkweeds in my garden all came from a funding drive sale (flower sale instead of bake sale😊) and the entire stock of plants were all locally sourced seeds that they grew and verified themselves.

It’s sort of a triple bonus for them. They get more funds to keep up the good work, gardens in the area get filled with plants that the local pollinators are looking for, and they get the opportunity to educate folks on the benefits of planting native seeds!

@andrewosborn1451 1 day ago

I've never been so interested in flirting butterflies.

@Syl-Vee 1 day ago

I've loved monarch butterflies ever since being a kid in Ontario. Thanks for all the great information! Greetings from the Gulf Coast, I will keep a lookout.

@Rumcake256 1 day ago (edited)

I can't fathom how every host is endlessly charming and incredible at narration. Monarch butterflies are one of my favorite insects, and I'm definitely gonna do my part to help

editing to add that 14:00 absolutely killed me. xvx

@amommamust 1 day ago

Fireflies / lightning bugs. I grew up with them in Ohio, then moved west and miss them like I miss autumn foliage (and nothing else) and now I hear they are in trouble. They are fairies in disguise - I am sure and we need to help them...