Monarch Monitoring Newsletter
August 11, 2023
Monarch Monitoring August Newsletter
Greetings!
This summer is zooming by! The monarch migration up North was a little bit slow this year. But now we are seeing monarch activity in full swing. Ninety-nine eggs were found during a recent survey of the 27 milkweed plants at the Grant's Woods parking lot! This site is known to have heavy monarch activity. Most sites that we monitor typically have closer to 0-5 eggs and caterpillars found each visit.

There are a lot of factors that influence the populations and survival of monarchs through their life cycle. Read through this email for more information about threats to monarchs, monarch science , local pollinator news and volunteer opportunities, and more.

Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions.

Thanks,
Aiesha
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Bug Spray (DEET)

Is it okay to wear bug spray when monarch monitoring? The active ingredient in bug spray (DEET), has been shown to work by a number of different avenues:

  • DEET masks our human smell, making it harder for mosquitoes to detect us (read more here)
  • The taste sensors on a mosquitoes legs find DEET to be very bitter (read more here, and here)
  • DEET may have neurological impacts on insects but more research is needed in this area

Given the above information, I would suggest wearing bug spray as you normally would but avoid having it on your hands if you will be handling milkweed plants.
Site visits
Monitoring visits are meant to be done at least 3 weeks apart. Please aim to do 1 visit per month from June to September.

If you would like a Couchiching Conservancy staff member
to go with you for monitoring, please contact Aiesha (aiesha@couchconservancy.ca)
Photo: monarch monitors Susan, Joni, Joy and Deb join summer staff Quinlan and Carsten out in the field for monarch monitoring training at Sweetwater Nature Reserve.
POLL
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Monarch Predators
What threatens monarch caterpillars? There are a number of predators and diseases that can cause the untimely demise of a young monarch caterpillar. Here are a few examples:

  • Predators: The more milkweed a caterpillar eats, the more poisonous they become. Young caterpillars are more vulnerable to predation. Predators include: Ants, spiders, birds, other caterpillars etc.

  • Parasitoids: some insects lay their eggs inside/on monarch eggs and caterpillars. The eggs hatch and the caterpillar becomes their first meal. Eg. Tachinid flies.

  • Disease: monarchs can be infected by viral, bacterial and fungal diseases.

Read more on this topic here (warning, some gross pictures and descriptions)
Spiny shield bug (picromerus bidens) pair mating. The female bug eats the monarch caterpillar, likely brought to her as a gift by the male.
Local Pollinator News
Did you know that the County of Simcoe and many towns within the area (including Orillia, Barrie, and Severn) have designations as 'Bee Cities'? Areas designated as Bee Cities commit to creating and protecting habitat for pollinators.
Matt Thompson does a lot of work for local pollinators and is working on a project to map park spaces in Orillia. The objective is to determine suitable areas for naturalization or pollinator gardens. If you are interested in volunteering in this project, please contact Matt at info@ardtreanature.ca

Other local pollinator news
Monarch Chrysalises
Once they have become large enough, an instar 5 caterpillar will search for a quiet and sunny spot to form its chrysalis. They have been known to travel up to 30 ft to find a suitable location.

It takes approximately 2 weeks for the metamorphosis to occur within the chrysalis.

Only a small percent of monarch eggs make it to the chrysalis stage.

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Chrysalis: : a pupa of a butterfly; stage of insect development between larval stage and the final adult stage. Enclosed in a protective outer coating while undergoing internal changes.
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Photos: (Left) A crysalis on the stem of a lily plant. (Middle) a chrysalis on grasses. This was a surprising find as it was quite close to the ground.
(Right) A newly emerged monarch. It is holding on to the husk of the chrysalis as it dries its wings.
Merch
We now use a platform called Redbubble for our merchandise. Pick the design of your liking and then you get to choose what to put it on!
Photo: Aiesha, Madeleine, and Alysha model the new Conservancy merch (C. Baker)

A big thank you to our summer staff Quinlan and Carsten, for leading the Monarch Monitoring Program this spring and summer!
They will have their hands full with trail work at Grant's Woods for the remaining weeks of the summer so please contact Aiesha or Alysha with your questions going forward.
Contact us if you need someone to monitor with, help with species identification, submitting data, or other general questions related to monarch monitoring:

Aiesha Aggarwal, Conservation Analyst

Office phone: 705-326-1620
Untitled Design



Alysha Henry, Youth Stewardship Coordinator

Office phone: 705-326-1620
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