Posts Tagged: monarch butterfly

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 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)

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 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)

The monarch takes the hint. A bee wants that nectar. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

UC Davis Professor Louie Yang: On Conserving the Western Monarch Population

"Recent studies have continued to shed light on the ecology of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) in western North America. These studies have...

A monarch leaving a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola. This image was taken in a pollinator garden in Vacaville. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A monarch leaving a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola. This image was taken in a pollinator garden in Vacaville. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A male monarch nectaring on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola, in Vacaville. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A male monarch nectaring on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola, in Vacaville. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Why the Petunia Patch Reigned Supreme Today

All year long, we've been waiting for those majestic monarchs to visit our pollinator garden in Vacaville, as they have in the past 10 years or...

Find the monarch! A monarch stopped to nectar in a Mexican petunia patch Sept. 15 in a Vacaville pollinator garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Find the monarch! A monarch stopped to nectar in a Mexican petunia patch Sept. 15 in a Vacaville pollinator garden. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Zooming in, you can see the iconic monarch nectaring on a Mexican petunia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Zooming in, you can see the iconic monarch nectaring on a Mexican petunia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

International Insect Salon: From 'Bugs Love' to 'Syrphid Feeding' to 'Monarch Laying Eggs'

If you attended the Entomological Society of America's 2021 meeting last week in Denver, you probably saw a monarch laying eggs. That is, you saw a...

This image, "Monarch Laying Eggs," by Joe Virbickis of Washington, Ill., won the medal for "Best by Peoria Camera Club Member." (Copyright Joe Virbickis)

This image, "Monarch Laying Eggs," by Joe Virbickis of Washington, Ill., won the medal for "Best by Peoria Camera Club Member." (Copyright Joe Virbickis)

Best of Show went to Marcus Kam of Malaysia for this image, "Bugs Love." (Copyright Marcus Kam)

Best of Show went to Marcus Kam of Malaysia for this image, "Bugs Love." (Copyright Marcus Kam)

Entomologist Tom Myers won "Best by ESA Member" for this image of a syrphid fly. (Copyright Tom Myers)

Entomologist Tom Myers won "Best by ESA Member" for this image of a syrphid fly. (Copyright Tom Myers)

One of the California-based images accepted in the 2021 international Insect Salon was this one by ESA member Kathy Keatley Garvey, of Gulf Fritillaries "Keeping Busy." (Copyright Kathy Keatley Garvey)

One of the California-based images accepted in the 2021 international Insect Salon was this one by ESA member Kathy Keatley Garvey, of Gulf Fritillaries "Keeping Busy." (Copyright Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Seen Any Monarchs Lately?

Seen any monarchs lately? No, not the British royal family: the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus. Butterfly guru Art Shapiro, UC Davis...

A territorial male bee, Melissodes agilis, targets a monarch nectaring on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola, in July 2020 in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A territorial male bee, Melissodes agilis, targets a monarch nectaring on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola, in July 2020 in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A territorial male bee, Melissodes agilis, confronts a monarch nectaring on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola, in July 2020, in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A territorial male bee, Melissodes agilis, confronts a monarch nectaring on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola, in July 2020, in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

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