We hope you have enjoyed the SRGC Forum. You can make a Paypal donation to the SRGC by clicking the above button
Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Welcome,
Guest
. Please
login
or
register
.
1 Hour
1 Day
1 Week
1 Month
Forever
Login with username, password and session length
Caps lock is activated.
News:
Click Here To Visit The SRGC Main Site
Home
Forum
Help
Login
Register
Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
»
General Subjects
»
General Forum
»
What do Monarch (butterflies) do on a hot day?
« previous
next »
Print
Pages: [
1
]
2
Go Down
Author
Topic: What do Monarch (butterflies) do on a hot day? (Read 1794 times)
arillady
Hero Member
Posts: 1955
Country:
What do Monarch (butterflies) do on a hot day?
«
on:
December 14, 2012, 08:10:11 AM »
Yesterday it was very hot outside but cool on the bricks in the courtyard where the monarch butterflies congregated.
Logged
Pat Toolan,
Keyneton,
South Australia
Anthony Darby
Bug Buff & Punster
Hero Member
Posts: 9647
Country:
Re: What do Monarch (butterflies) do on a hot day?
«
Reply #1 on:
December 14, 2012, 08:15:19 AM »
I have seen this before. Two males fighting by attempting to mate with each other. They are quite territorial and it is possible an older male will take down a newly emerged one that hasn't quite managed to get away fast enough.
Logged
Anthony Darby, Auckland, New Zealand.
"Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution"
http://www.dunblanecathedral.org.uk/Choir/The-Choir.html
arillady
Hero Member
Posts: 1955
Country:
Re: What do Monarch (butterflies) do on a hot day?
«
Reply #2 on:
December 14, 2012, 09:17:16 AM »
Thanks Anthony and what is the difference between female and male. Of course as a novice on butterflies I had thought they were male female.
Logged
Pat Toolan,
Keyneton,
South Australia
Anthony Darby
Bug Buff & Punster
Hero Member
Posts: 9647
Country:
Re: What do Monarch (butterflies) do on a hot day?
«
Reply #3 on:
December 14, 2012, 09:26:38 AM »
Thee males have thinner black veins and a large black scent mark in the middle of a vein on the hind wing. This is easier to see on the upper side and can be seen in both of your pics.
«
Last Edit: December 14, 2012, 09:28:10 AM by Anthony Darby
»
Logged
Anthony Darby, Auckland, New Zealand.
"Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution"
http://www.dunblanecathedral.org.uk/Choir/The-Choir.html
arillady
Hero Member
Posts: 1955
Country:
Re: What do Monarch (butterflies) do on a hot day?
«
Reply #4 on:
December 14, 2012, 08:19:18 PM »
Thanks Anthony. Now to keep a better eye on butterflies.
Logged
Pat Toolan,
Keyneton,
South Australia
ronm
Guest
Monarchs in NZ
«
Reply #5 on:
December 14, 2012, 08:49:08 PM »
According to a recent post in the latest ELG list, a spectacular calendar has been produced and is available to overseas cost $NZ25. Payment can apparently be made by PayPal. See a low resolution version at -
http://www.monarch.org.nz/monarch/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/MBNZT-Calendar-2013-low.pdf
Interested
I know I am !!
email -
trust@monarch.org.nz
Hope I get one in my stocking!!!
Logged
Anthony Darby
Bug Buff & Punster
Hero Member
Posts: 9647
Country:
Re: What do Monarch (butterflies) do on a hot day?
«
Reply #6 on:
December 14, 2012, 09:11:24 PM »
I got one Ron. Ask for discount as they are now reduced in price (NZ$15 in NZ - so perhaps NZ$20 - best to check?). I was a bit annoyed that the postman folded it in half so he could put it in the letter box without having to slow his bike down. I joined the Monarch trust and tag and release butterflies. Last week I tagged four reared males and yesterday I caught and tagged three wild females that came into the garden.
«
Last Edit: December 15, 2012, 01:18:02 AM by Anthony Darby
»
Logged
Anthony Darby, Auckland, New Zealand.
"Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution"
http://www.dunblanecathedral.org.uk/Choir/The-Choir.html
ronm
Guest
Support the NZ butterflies
«
Reply #7 on:
December 14, 2012, 09:37:31 PM »
Noras getting me one, and one each for a few other peeps,
That's great work you are doing there Anthony,
«
Last Edit: December 14, 2012, 10:14:10 PM by ronm
»
Logged
Anthony Darby
Bug Buff & Punster
Hero Member
Posts: 9647
Country:
Re: What do Monarch (butterflies) do on a hot day?
«
Reply #8 on:
December 15, 2012, 07:37:53 AM »
I had a couple of female monarchs in the garden. Neither tagged. I caught and tagged one and photographed the other feeding and egg laying on
Gomphocarpus fruticosus
(swan plant). It also laid on
Asclepias curassavica
. It managed to fly off before I could catch it. You'll notice the swan plant is only just recovering from the previous generation!
Logged
Anthony Darby, Auckland, New Zealand.
"Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution"
http://www.dunblanecathedral.org.uk/Choir/The-Choir.html
Uli Lessnow
Jr. Member
Posts: 80
Country:
Lover of bulbs and Wombats
Re: What do Monarch (butterflies) do on a hot day?
«
Reply #9 on:
December 15, 2012, 09:19:58 AM »
thank you for these fine pics, Anthony. Do you have a pic of
the belonging caterpillar?
Uli
Logged
Uli Lessnow from the Power capital of Germany
Anthony Darby
Bug Buff & Punster
Hero Member
Posts: 9647
Country:
Re: What do Monarch (butterflies) do on a hot day?
«
Reply #10 on:
December 15, 2012, 09:33:13 AM »
Here is one from March this year, feeding on
Gomphocarpus
, plus an example of a tag. A female monarch (called "the wanderer" in Australia and apparently arrived in NZ then Oz under its own steam mid 18th century) can lay up to 1000 eggs, so predation by polistes wasps and mantids is necessary to prevent over crowding of the food plant. The caterpillars wander too if they strip a small plant. I have found them moving from one stripped plant to another. A year ago I caged a big swan plant and ended up with so many caterpillars from wild laid eggs I had to go looking for more to keep them alive. I seem to remember releasing about 40 butterflies!
Logged
Anthony Darby, Auckland, New Zealand.
"Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution"
http://www.dunblanecathedral.org.uk/Choir/The-Choir.html
Tony Willis
Wandering Star
Hero Member
Posts: 3205
Country:
Re: What do Monarch (butterflies) do on a hot day?
«
Reply #11 on:
December 15, 2012, 04:44:42 PM »
One I saw in Ontario Botanic gardens in July
Logged
Chorley, Lancashire zone 8b
Anthony Darby
Bug Buff & Punster
Hero Member
Posts: 9647
Country:
Re: What do Monarch (butterflies) do on a hot day?
«
Reply #12 on:
December 15, 2012, 08:22:54 PM »
If this monarch was still around in August he'd be heading off to Mexico which they spend the winter. The monarch migration in North America is amazing. There are little migrations in New Zealand with some favoured trees having congregations of monarchs in July/August, but here in Auckland I can see butterflies on warm days in all months.
Logged
Anthony Darby, Auckland, New Zealand.
"Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution"
http://www.dunblanecathedral.org.uk/Choir/The-Choir.html
arillady
Hero Member
Posts: 1955
Country:
Re: What do Monarch (butterflies) do on a hot day?
«
Reply #13 on:
December 16, 2012, 09:28:18 AM »
We seem to have had Monarchs around a lot the last few years. Never any major migrations that I know about around here. Watching butterflies or baby chickens are two pastimes that I have enjoyed lately.
Logged
Pat Toolan,
Keyneton,
South Australia
Anthony Darby
Bug Buff & Punster
Hero Member
Posts: 9647
Country:
Re: What do Monarch (butterflies) do on a hot day?
«
Reply #14 on:
December 16, 2012, 09:46:30 AM »
Monarchs migrate in North America as they wouldn't survive the winter otherwise. I don't think they've been in Oz or New Zealand long enough to evolve any migratory behaviour. Even welcome swallows don't migrate in New Zealand as the climate allows them to be static.
Logged
Anthony Darby, Auckland, New Zealand.
"Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution"
http://www.dunblanecathedral.org.uk/Choir/The-Choir.html
Print
Pages: [
1
]
2
Go Up
« previous
next »
Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
»
General Subjects
»
General Forum
»
What do Monarch (butterflies) do on a hot day?
Scottish Rock Garden Club is a Charity registered with Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR): SC000942
SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal