California zone 10A/9B. Seen so many monarchs around lately. Great to see that they love my little patch of milkweed I have for them! (All eggs on Narrowleaf milkweed) I use Tuberosa exclusively for nectar.)
I am doing an experiment rearing some of my current batch indoors to test for OE upon release. I have about 15 cats, all look fine except for this guy. I haven’t done indoor cats for a few years, and I wonder if maybe the shade could be contributing to it. However, they are raised in a bright sunny room.
I’ve heard people say either these thick black bands are caused by temperature change/more shade or NPV, but I’ve never seen any conclusion.
Have you guys seen this? What’s everyone’s thoughts?
Even healthy looking monarchs can have OE. I speak from experience. Disinfecting your plants that don’t fully die back is so so crucial. I’ve had batches of healthy monarchs that still had wings that looked like this under a microscope before I knew better.
I collected the samples myself and did this, it’s very upsetting to see but just shows how prevalent OE is.
President removed federal protection for monarch butterflies under the Endangered Species Act. Sloat, O’Donnell’s, Green Jeans and many other Marin nurseries carry native milkweed that is easy to grow.
Marin has always been a safe haven for these incredible butterflies and many other species such as the pipevine swallowtail (many nurseries carry their host plant too.) Do your part and go out and get some!