Performance of Early Instar Monarch Butterflies (<i>Danaus plexippus</i>L.) on Nine Milkweed Species Native to Iowa

Pocius, Victoria; Debinski, Diane M.; Bidne, Keith G.; Hellmich, Richard L.; Hunter, Frances K

doi:10.18473/lepi.71i3.a5

Cited by 9 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…2 ). We did see increased early instar mortality on C. laeve as in Pocius et al (2017) , but this difference was not significant ( Fig. 2 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 76%

“…Other studies have examined growth differences of larvae that fed on A. syriaca and Cynanchum laeve ( Yeargan and Allard 2005 ) and on milkweeds native to Southern California ( Zalucki et al 2012 ) throughout development. Additional work has focused on the survival of early-instar larvae on a range of North American species native to Florida ( Zalucki and Brower 1992 ), the Midwest ( Pocius et al 2017 ), and across the Eastern United States ( Zalucki and Malcolm 1999 ). Furthermore, Robertson et al (2015) investigated larval preferences among four milkweeds native to the California desert, while Agrawal et al (2015) compared larval performance on a wide variety of milkweed species to determine the impacts of evolutionary history and latex on milkweed defenses and monarch growth.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We examined larval performance and survival on young plants of the nine species listed earlier to determine any differences in the resulting adults including mass, forewing length, and hindwing length, or development time (days) in the larval and pupal stages relative to the milkweed species on which the larvae fed. Our prior work suggested that there were differences in both mass and lipid content in young larvae, second and third instars, that fed on both leaves and young plants of different milkweed species ( Pocius et al 2017 ), although there were no differences in survival. We suspected that these differences could change as the monarch larvae develop to adulthood because there were no significant differences in pupal weight and development time among larvae that fed on A. syriaca and C. laeve ( Yeargan and Allard 2005 ), although larval growth rates differed based on the host plant species ( Ladner and Altizer 2005 , Yeargan and Allard 2005 ).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Milkweed Matters: Monarch Butterfly (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) Survival and Development on Nine Midwestern Milkweed Species

Pocius

Debinski

Pleasants

et al. 2017

Environmental Entomology

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The population of monarch butterflies east of the Rocky Mountains has experienced a significant decline over the past 20 yr. In order to increase monarch numbers in the breeding range, habitat restoration that includes planting milkweed plants is essential. Milkweeds in the genus Asclepias and Cynanchum are the only host plants for larval monarch butterflies in North America, but larval performance and survival across nine milkweeds native to the Midwest is not well documented. We examined development and survival of monarchs from first-instar larval stages to adulthood on nine milkweed species native to Iowa. The milkweeds included Asclepias exaltata (poke milkweed) (Gentianales: Apocynaceae), Asclepias hirtella (tall green milkweed) (Gentianales: Apocynaceae), Asclepias incarnata (swamp milkweed) (Gentianales: Apocynaceae), Asclepias speciosa (showy milkweed) (Gentianales: Apocynaceae), Asclepias sullivantii (prairie milkweed) (Gentianales: Apocynaceae), Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed) (Gentianales: Apocynaceae), Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly milkweed) (Gentianales: Apocynaceae), Asclepias verticillata (whorled milkweed) (Gentianales: Apocynaceae), and Cynanchum laeve (honey vine milkweed) (Gentianales: Apocynaceae). In greenhouse experiments, fewer larvae that fed on Asclepias hirtella and Asclepias sullivantii reached adulthood compared with larvae that fed on the other milkweed species. Monarch pupal width and adult dry mass differed among milkweeds, but larval duration (days), pupal duration (days), pupal mass, pupal length, and adult wet mass were not significantly different. Both the absolute and relative adult lipids were different among milkweed treatments; these differences are not fully explained by differences in adult dry mass. Monarch butterflies can survive on all nine milkweed species, but the expected survival probability varied from 30 to 75% among the nine milkweed species.

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“…2 ). We did see increased early instar mortality on C. laeve as in Pocius et al (2017) , but this difference was not significant ( Fig. 2 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 76%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Milkweed Matters: Monarch Butterfly (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) Survival and Development on Nine Midwestern Milkweed Species

Pocius

Debinski

Pleasants

et al. 2017

Environmental Entomology

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“…, ), even though larval survival was high on both of these species in prior experiments (Pocius et al. , b).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 77%

Monarch butterflies do not place all of their eggs in one basket: oviposition on nine Midwestern milkweed species

et al. 2018

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Abstract. Over the past two decades, the population of monarch butterflies east of the Rocky Mountains has experienced a significant decline in overwintering numbers. Habitat restoration that includes planting milkweeds is essential to boost monarch numbers within the breeding range. Milkweeds are the only host plants for larval monarch butterflies, but female oviposition preference for different milkweed species, especially those with overlapping ranges, is not well documented. We examined the relative inclination to lay eggs on nine milkweed species native to Iowa (no choice), and oviposition preference (choice) among the four most commonly occurring Iowa species (Asclepias incarnata, Asclepias syriaca, Asclepias tuberosa, and Asclepias verticillata). In both experiments, eggs were counted daily for four days. The milkweeds tested were Asclepias exaltata (poke milkweed), Asclepias hirtella (tall green milkweed), A. incarnata (swamp milkweed), Asclepias speciosa (showy milkweed), Asclepias sullivantii (prairie milkweed), A. syriaca (common milkweed), A. tuberosa (butterfly milkweed), A. verticillata (whorled milkweed), and Cynanchum laeve (honeyvine milkweed). When females were given only a single species on which to lay eggs, there were significant differences among milkweed species in the average number of eggs laid; A. incarnata had the highest average egg count. When females were given a choice among A. incarnata, A. syriaca, A. tuberosa, and A. verticillata, there were also differences among milkweed species in the number of eggs laid; again, A. incarnata had the highest average number of eggs laid. Additionally, females laid more total eggs when four plants of different milkweed species were available than when there were four plants of a single milkweed species. Our results show that monarch butterflies will lay eggs on all nine milkweeds, but that there are clear preferences for some milkweed species over others.

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“…Species are designated as easy to establish if over 60% survived within the demonstration plots from 2015 to 2017, and are recommended for restoration if plants were easy to establish, had high larval survivorship, and medium to high oviposition use. Larval survivorship and oviposition use were determined as low, medium or high from laboratory data Pocius et al, 2017a;Pocius et al, 2018. season in 2016. A. hirtella plants were not replaced due to a lack of seed in 2016 and 2017.…”

Section: Field Ovipositionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Monarch Butterflies Show Differential Utilization of Nine Midwestern Milkweed Species

et al. 2018

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Monarch butterfly overwintering numbers have declined over the past 20 years. Restoring habitat that includes milkweeds, the only host plants for larval monarch butterflies, is necessary to increase monarch numbers within the breeding range. The value of different milkweed species for restoration will depend, in part, on the extent to which they are utilized by ovipositing females. The number of eggs laid on different species over a season will be a function of plant size and phenology as well as female preference. We examined seasonal egg deposition and females' oviposition choices by comparing the number of eggs laid by free-flying wild monarchs on each of nine native milkweed species occurring in Iowa (Asclepias syriaca, Asclepias tuberosa, Asclepias incarnata, Asclepias verticillata, Asclepias exaltata, Asclepias hirtella, Asclepias speciosa, Asclepias sullivantii, and Cynanchum laeve). One plot, consisting of clusters of each of the nine species, was established at each of 14 sites across the state of Iowa. Eggs were counted weekly in June, July and August 2015-2017. The highest egg totals were recorded on A. incarnata and A. syriaca in all years. Fewer eggs were counted on A. exaltata, A. hirtella, A. tuberosa, A. verticillata, and C. laeve. Our results show that monarchs prefer some milkweed species over others, but that they can use all nine native milkweed species for oviposition.

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Performance of Early Instar Monarch Butterflies (Danaus plexippusL.) on Nine Milkweed Species Native to Iowa

Cited by 9 publications

References 40 publications

Milkweed Matters: Monarch Butterfly (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) Survival and Development on Nine Midwestern Milkweed Species

Milkweed Matters: Monarch Butterfly (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) Survival and Development on Nine Midwestern Milkweed Species

Monarch butterflies do not place all of their eggs in one basket: oviposition on nine Midwestern milkweed species

Monarch Butterflies Show Differential Utilization of Nine Midwestern Milkweed Species

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