Monarch larvae dying Q

[Paul Cherubini]

Louise Dawson wrote:

> I have been successfully raising monarch butterflies to emergence
> with larvae provided to me by a breeder.  We raise hundreds for
> resale as a fundraiser for monarch territory purchase in Mexico...

I am not aware of any fundraising project that intends to 
purchase monarch overwintering habitat in Mexico. Could 
you elaborate?

There is the Monarch Sanctuary Foundation run by Karen Oberhauser
and Lincoln Brower http://www.mbsf.org/frame.html, but in reviewing
it's website and 1999 financial statement (see way below) most of the 
money seems to be going to fund adminstration and research projects 
for biologists -not on habitat projects that might directly benefit 
the butterflies (assuming the overwintering forests need any special help
- a hotly debated issue among biologists & conservationists).

> My question is this: what would cause an entire batch of 80+ 
> monarch larvae to die in this fashion: lay on side and ooze out 
> a clear liquid?  Some died in transit; others died as long as
> two weeks later.  This did not happen with
> previous shipments this summer, and rearing practices did not 
> change.  In four years of purchasing livestock from this breeder
> or with other breeders I have not experienced this before.

There's no easy answer. A bacterial outbreak can kill everything in 
a few days. There are three possible protozoans, two of which are
rare. There is a polyhedrosis virus that can strike out of nowhere in
reared cultures, but is not known to be lethal to monarchs in the wild.
There could be unrinsed residue from chlorox or other disinfectants,
or simply excessive moisture or heat in the shipping container. Serious 
monarch breeders have sometimes had to have an insect pathologist
assess the cause of death.

MONARCH SANCTUARY FOUNDATION
http://www.mbsf.org/frame.html

Balance Forward Dec 31, 1998:       $10,162

1999 INCOME:

Journey North Donations                   $6,429 
Individual & School Donations        $22,268                                                                                                                             
Grants                                                $7,000                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                          
TOTAL INCOME:                           $45,860
                                                                                                                                 
1999 PROJECT OUTFLOWS: 

World Wildlife Fund, Mexico           $10,000
Mexico City Office Expenses              $7,583                                                                                                                             
Research Grants                                  $5,000                                                                                                                
Environmental Education Project        $1,127                                                                                                                               
Baskets                                               $1,230                                                                                                                          

1999 TOTAL OUTFLOWS:              $24,940                                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                 
OPERATING
& FUNDRAISING EXPENSES:

Newsletter (postage donated)                 $264
T-shirts**                                               $896                                                                                                                                        
Legal Fees/Tax Preparation                    $588                                                                                                                                        
Certificates                                               $65 
Butterfly Gardens                                   $300                                                                                                                                     
  
TOTAL OPERATING &
FUNDRAISING EXPENSES:           $2,113   
                                                                                                                               
TOTAL EXPENDITURES:              $27,053