monarchs

JH jhimmel at connix.com
Fri Aug 17 21:55:45 EDT 2001


What a great thing to be doing!  It really is amazing how many larvae get parasitized, or just plain eaten, in the wild.  Earlier in the summer my wife came across a Polyphemus Moth.  The moth laid about 60 or so eggs.  I brought half of them in to rear, and put the rest out by their host plant (chestnut and oak - and, chestnut oak).  The ones I reared are big fat pickles at this point.  The ones outdoors were first severely parasitized by ichneumon wasps and then carried off by Yellow Jackets and Bald-faced hornets.  Not a single larvae survived in the wild.  While this may be the way of nature, so too is the occasional helping hand offered by the hominids.

As for the Monarchs, the CT Monarchs do make it to Mexico, however, only their "grandchildren", or third generation return.

JH  
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John Himmelman
Killingworth, CT USA
jhimmel at connix.com
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Visit my websites at:
http://booksandnature.homestead.com/booksandnature.html
www.ctamphibians.com
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    -----Original Message-----
    From: Bethsull at aol.com <Bethsull at aol.com>
    To: CT-Leps <CTLEPS-L at lists.yale.edu>
    Date: Friday, August 17, 2001 8:56 PM
    Subject: monarchs
    
    
    I hope this works..as a post to the entire group. All the Monarchs, eggs and 
    larva are in Willington CT. My sister cruises the roadsides and fields to be 
    mowed...and especially Horsebarn Hill at Uconn.  She rescues eggs and larva 
    and brings them home to her kitchen! Last year she personally reared over 500 
    monarchs.   This year so far, she has raised tagged and released near 100. 
    With hundreds more in progress.  She has found her best success with eggs and 
    larva hatched and  raised indoors. Many of the larva she finds already 
    hatched and living outside are affected either by disease or parasite very 
    early on. She has done library and school programs for her children's classes 
    and also a 4H expedition each year to introduce kids to the wonder and joy.   
    She is not on the internet yet...is CBA member.   For all her tags...her goal 
    is to have one reach Mexico..but feels that those from this area..as a 
    generation...don't make it all the way. She had one returned from Oklahoma!   
    So if you are looking for monarchs..check out Willington area!!!! 
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