Monarchs in Europe

[Guy Van de Poel & A. Kalus]

Right Paul,

(as reply to a post from Paul Cherubini about releasing / doing research on
monarchs in Europe)

Still, the imported or locally reared ones would interfere with those
arriving in a 'natural' way. If you were to release some monarchs, you would
order a hundred, more ? (Don't know the prices, but transportation costs
would be almost the same for a 1000 as for 10)
The chances of catching an imported one instead of a 'real' emigrationist
are much higher, especially if the releases get trendy enough. A couple
reported on every year now against hundreds released (and to use some human
arguments: they won't like it here: nothing to eat for their kids, different
climate). They look better than rice being thrown at you, but that's not the
question here.

I think (in this case) it's right to say 'they don't belong here, keep them
out!'.

By the way: the monarchs living in Europe can only survive in human-shaped
habitats. On the Canary Islands, the south of Spain and Portugal their
larvae feed on plants only occurring in parks or hotel gardens. On the
north-african coast, nobody has seen monarchs yet (except maybe an
occasional one - they do wonder around), because their hostplants do not
occur there - no parks. The same goes for the African monarch, D.
chrysippus. No natural hostplants.

Guy.


 
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