It's a project of Monarch Watch: https://www.monarchwatch.org/
Dan Matyola http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/danieljmatyola On Thu, Jun 13, 2019 at 12:56 AM Alan C <[email protected]> wrote: > Dan, you're a slave to duty - a born researcher - Darwin would be proud > of you. Even tagging the butterflies! > > Alan C > > On 13-Jun-19 02:25 AM, Daniel J. Matyola wrote: > > Thanks, Larry, Henk and Alan! > > > > Yes, it is a lot of fun, but the buggers are very difficult to > > photograph inside of the mesh cages in which they are kept while they > > develop. Shaking the cage even slightly carries a risk of dislodging > > one of the chrysalises, and that makes emergence of a healthy adult > > butterfly a bit less likely. > > > > For various reasons, all the perennial milkweed I planted last year > > died over the winter. Two that I placed in a sheltered location near > > the house were disturbed by a plague of chipmunks burying beneath > > their roots. Others were damaged by cold, wind or other animals. > > This year, I got the perennials into the ground a lot earlier, so I am > > hoping for better results. I also plant tropical milkweed, mostly in > > pots, as caterpillar food. I treat those as annuals, and try to save > > some seed for next year, with limited success. The eggs arrive on > > small potted milkweed plants, and I have to plant and grow several > > plants for each group of eggs as they develop. > > > > All of the adults will be released into the wild, with the hope that > > they will increase the local Monarch population. Last year, I had > > several eggs laid on my potted tropical milkweeds, either by adults I > > had released, or by ones just passing through. I tag most of the ones > > that hatch later in the season, with the hope that one or may be found > > on the way to Mexico for the winter. > > > > > > Dan Matyola > > http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/danieljmatyola > > > > > > On Wed, Jun 12, 2019 at 3:20 AM Alan C <[email protected] > > <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: > > > > Well documented, Dan. They didn't waste much time after winter. > > Presumably they'll be released after hatching? BTW, did your Milkweed > > bushes recover from that bug infestation last year or did you have to > > replace them? There used to be a lot of Milkweed plants around > > Sable Dam > > & Masorini (in the Kruger Park) where we often go but after a > > couple of > > dry years there don't seem to be any. Well I suppose there must be > > some > > because African Monarchs are still around. > > > > Alan C > > > > On 12-Jun-19 05:57 AM, Daniel J. Matyola wrote: > > > The first of my Monarch eggs of the season have grown into ripe > > > caterpillars and now are metamorphosing into chrysalises: > > > > > > > http://dan-matyola.squarespace.com/danmatyolas-pesos/2019/6/11/mons > > > > > > K-5 IIs, smc FA 100 mm MACRO F 2.8 > > > Comments are invited and appreciated. > > > > > > Dan Matyola > > > http://www.pentaxphotogallery.com/danieljmatyola > > > > -- > PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List > [email protected] > http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net > to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and > follow the directions. > -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List [email protected] http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
