Haven't seen one around here in yearsdedhamoutdoorsOctober 10 2015, 12:35:20 UTC
I've been looking in every milkweed patch I can find (which are few and far-between these days) and I haven't seen a butterfly, caterpillar, or egg in at least two years, maybe three. I did see one in Minnesota over the summer. Goodbye monarch butterflies.
I thought that milkweeds up north here bloomed too late to be of use for birds' nesting material but were still useful for the monarchs.
My question is about honeypods which are related to milkweeds. The honeypods which were in Ohio and lately in western Pennsylvania are advancing east. I recently found a plant in eastern New York [icon].
I know host plants and organisms have specific relationships. I suppose then that the monarchs would not accept honeypods as a viable substitute?
Honeypods may be "more attractive" to folks who might consider milkweed to be a pest. The honeypod pod itself is slender and more golden. They slit to let the seeds out. By coloration and its presence not being quite as known yet perhaps...
Monarchs are beautiful. I would hate for them to become a memory, something to point to in a science textbook years from now "we used to have those here..."
I don't know the species of plant you are referring to. There is at least one introduced milkweed (black swallowwort) which monarchs lay eggs on but their caterpillars can't feed on. But there are a number of milkweed species that are good host plants, beyond the common milkweed.
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I thought that milkweeds up north here bloomed too late to be of use for birds' nesting material but were still useful for the monarchs.
My question is about honeypods which are related to milkweeds.
The honeypods which were in Ohio and lately in western Pennsylvania are advancing east. I recently found a plant in eastern New York [icon].
I know host plants and organisms have specific relationships. I suppose then that the monarchs would not accept honeypods as a viable substitute?
Honeypods may be "more attractive" to folks who might consider milkweed to be a pest. The honeypod pod itself is slender and more golden. They slit to let the seeds out. By coloration and its presence not being quite as known yet perhaps...
Monarchs are beautiful. I would hate for them to become a memory, something to point to in a science textbook years from now "we used to have those here..."
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I've forgotten how to insert photo in comments. It is at this entry of mine: http://froganon.livejournal.com/324784.html , fourth collage down first picture.
Or [if you wish to look it up] it is properly called the honeyvine milkweed or Ampelamus albidus.
I keep calling it the honeypod milkweed [stupid mild expressive aphasia], another good argument for being able to refer to the latin names.
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