Posts Tagged: monarch
Monarch 'Cats Sleeping with the Aphids
Sleeping with the aphids...that's what this monarch caterpillar was doing. It lived--and quite hidden at that--through the freezing cold, the rain,...
A monarch caterpillar sharing a milkweed leaf with oleander aphids on Dec. 8, 2023 in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Milkweed going to seed on Dec. 8, 2023 in a Vacaville garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Mantis vs. a Monarch
Can a praying mantis catch a monarch? Yes, it can. And yes, it does. It was Sept. 14, 2013. As I approached a Vacaville supermarket, I...
A monarch sips nectar from lantana near a Vacaville supermarket. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
female praying mantis, Stagmomantis limbata, ambushes the monarch. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The predator clutches the monarch with its spiked forelegs. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Food for Thought and Food for the Monarchs
Is tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica, a "bad" plant? Should Californians pull it from their gardens? No, say many scientists, including...
A tiny monarch egg, about the size of a pin head. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
What's Better Than Seeing a Monarch Butterfly?
Question: What's better than seeing a monarch butterfly? Answer: Seeing two monarch butterflies sharing the same blossom on a butterfly...
Two migrating monarchs land on a butterfly bush in Vacaville, Calif. to sip some nectar. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The monarchs engage in what appears to be a territorial battle. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A kaleidoscope of orange and black as the two monarchs seek the same blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Wings up! The monarchs take flight. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Monarch vs. Honey Bee: 'Nectar for Me, None for You'
The monarch migration is well underway. The iconic butterflies fluttering into California from the Pacific Northwest engage in "nectar stops" to fuel...
A migrating monarch butterfly finds nectar in a zinnia in a Vacaville pollinator garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A honey bee wants nectar, too. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The honey bee buzzes the wings of the monarch hoping it will leave. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The monarch takes the hint. A bee wants that nectar. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)