Advisor Information
John McCarty
Location
UNO Criss Library, Room 249
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
3-3-2017 11:30 AM
End Date
3-3-2017 11:45 AM
Abstract
Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) are suffering from declining populations due to habitat loss. To help offset this habitat loss conservationists have encouraged planting milkweed gardens to increase the availability of host plants for larvae. A tachinid fly (Lespesia archippivora) that causes mortality parasitizes monarchs. Understanding the influence these gardens can have on parasitism rates and monarch recruitment is vital to evaluating their effectiveness. I am quantifying egg/larval abundance and demography at conservation areas and residential gardens. Additionally, I am collecting and rearing monarch larvae to compare parasitism rates in both areas. My preliminary results suggest that there is no significant difference between these two land use types.
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Recruitment, survival, and parasitism of monarchs in residential gardens and conservation areas
UNO Criss Library, Room 249
Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) are suffering from declining populations due to habitat loss. To help offset this habitat loss conservationists have encouraged planting milkweed gardens to increase the availability of host plants for larvae. A tachinid fly (Lespesia archippivora) that causes mortality parasitizes monarchs. Understanding the influence these gardens can have on parasitism rates and monarch recruitment is vital to evaluating their effectiveness. I am quantifying egg/larval abundance and demography at conservation areas and residential gardens. Additionally, I am collecting and rearing monarch larvae to compare parasitism rates in both areas. My preliminary results suggest that there is no significant difference between these two land use types.