Posts Tagged: native milkweed

And Just Like That, A Monarch Fluttered into Our Garden

And just like that, a female monarch butterfly fluttered into our Vacaville pollinator garden this morning, Aug. 10, and left a dozen or so...

A female monarch flutters into a Vacaville garden on Aug. 10 and checks out the narrow-leafed milkweed, Asclepias fascicularis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A female monarch flutters into a Vacaville garden on Aug. 10 and checks out the narrow-leafed milkweed, Asclepias fascicularis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The monarch heads for another milkweed. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The monarch heads for another milkweed. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The monarch investigates a tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The monarch investigates a tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A tiny monarch egg clings to the underside of a narrow-leafed milkweed, Asclepias fascicularis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A tiny monarch egg clings to the underside of a narrow-leafed milkweed, Asclepias fascicularis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Year 2023: What Does the Year Hold for Monarchs and Tropical Milkweed?

Do monarch butterflies know what they want/need? Apparently so, from personal observation. Over the years, we've grown multiple species of milkweed...

A monarch caterpillar feeding on tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica, in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A monarch caterpillar feeding on tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica, in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A monarch nectaring on tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica, in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A monarch nectaring on tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica, in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Honey bees and other pollinators frequent tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Honey bees and other pollinators frequent tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Walda: a Master of Disguise, Stealth and Ambush

Where's Waldo?  If you've ever looked at a “Where's Waldo” pictorial book and tried to spot a cartoon-like character wearing a...

A praying mantis is camouflaged amid the green stems, seed pods and leaves of a native milkweed as she awaits prey. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A praying mantis is camouflaged amid the green stems, seed pods and leaves of a native milkweed as she awaits prey. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Well, no prey in sight, so I guess I'll just wait. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Well, no prey in sight, so I guess I'll just wait. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

While I wait, I may as well groom myself. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

While I wait, I may as well groom myself. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

I see you! You don't look like prey. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

I see you! You don't look like prey. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Winter Monarchs: Thankfully, They're Out There

Thankfully, they're out there. Butterfly guru Art Shapiro, UC Davis distinguished professor of evolution and ecology, spotted a female monarch...

A monarch caterpillar and a honey bee sharing tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica, in the summer of 2020 in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A monarch caterpillar and a honey bee sharing tropical milkweed, Asclepias curassavica, in the summer of 2020 in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

This is the graph that WSU entomologist David James posted on his Facebook research page, Monarchs Butterflies in the Pacific Northwest.

This is the graph that WSU entomologist David James posted on his Facebook research page, Monarchs Butterflies in the Pacific Northwest.

Read more