Asclepia -- The Monarch's Host Plant
Following successful mating, the female Monarch must immediately set out on her quest for a milkweed plant (or butterfly weed) on which to lay her fertilized eggs. She instinctively knows that her caterpillars will feed only on the leaves of this plant species very soon after they emerge from her eggs. Should she lay her eggs on a different plant, and if there are no milkweed plants close by, it won't be long until her baby caterpillars die. This God-given instinct within the Monarch caterpillars is so strong that they actually prefer starvation over eating anything other than milkweed! Amazing, isn't it?
You may be wondering exactly why Monarch butterflies have chosen milkweeds as their host plants. What do they find special about this particular plant? The explanation for this is really quite simple, and both the caterpillar and butterfly instinctively know the answer. Research has shown that what the Monarch's caterpillars ingest--the milkweed plant--contains certain poisons and emetic substances that will prevent predators, primarily birds, from eating them. If a bird does happen to choose a Monarch caterpillar for lunch or dinner, it will almost instantly become extremely ill to the point of regurgitation. This is a lesson that will never be forgotten by that bird! It will never want to eat another Monarch caterpillar meal again, no matter how tempting it may appear. Further, this same toxic substance that was ingested by the Monarch caterpillar is transferred to its butterfly after it emerges from its chrysalis, thus making the butterfly equally distasteful to predators. A very clever built-in predator protection system, don't you agree?
How can you as a gardener cater to Monarch caterpillars?
Feed them! Feed them! Then feed them some more! However, before you begin to cater to caterpillars, let us begin by exploring what their vital role is in the life cycle of the magical butterfly.
Consider the lovely butterfly for a moment. We all tend to stand in awe at the sight of the iridescent, fluttering wings of the butterfly. Many people call them "flying flowers" because of their beautifully colored wings. Butterflies appeal to the young and old alike, and for many viable reasons. They don't sting or bite like most other insects in the world. Nor do they transmit dread diseases of any kind, so we aren't afraid to let them perch on our hands--or even our faces! They don't fight with each other or make loud, disturbing noises. In fact, they're totally silent and may sneak right up on you on a bright summer day, alighting on you to rest for a spell.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Naomi Mathews's Butterfly Gardening topic, please visit the Discussions page.