What is the coevolution of monarch butterflies and milkweed?
Once a monarch butterfly lays an egg on a milkweed plant, the natural history of coevolution unfolds. For every defense that the plant mounts, milkweed mounts a counter defense. And so the arms race continues, with reciprocal natural selection resulting in coevolution between monarchs and milkweeds.
What type of symbiotic relationship is a monarch butterflies and milkweed?
mutualism
Most pollinator- flower Page 4 4 relationships are examples of mutualism: A monarch butterfly lays its eggs on a milkweed plant where the caterpillars can grow and be safe from predators because the milkweed makes the caterpillars taste bad to predators.
How does milkweed affect monarch butterflies?
Importance of Milkweed Many butterflies have a single plant required as a food source for their larval form called a host plant. Milkweed is the host plant for the monarch butterfly. Without milkweed, the larva would not be able to develop into a butterfly. Monarchs use a variety of milkweeds.
How are the monarch butterfly & milkweed interdependent on each other?
Monarchs depend on milkweeds as host plants. The butterflies deposit eggs on milkweed plants, which then provide nutrition for the caterpillar phase of the butterfly’s life cycle. Plants in the milkweed family contain poisons known as cardiac glycosides, which render them unpalatable to most insects.
Is the relationship between monarch butterflies and milkweed Commensalism?
Monarch butterflies and milkweed are an example of commensalism. Commensalism is a relationship between two organisms in which one benefits from the other without causing harm to it. The commensal organism obtains food, shelter, locomotion, or support.
What are monarch butterflies known for?
Monarch butterflies are one of the most recognizable species of butterflies in North America. They are widely known for their incredible migratory pattern. They travel between 1,200 and 2,800 miles or more to their overwintering spots in Mexico and Southern California from the northern United States and Canada.
Is the relationship between monarch butterflies and milkweed commensalism or parasitism?
How do monarchs use milkweed?
Therefore, milkweed is known as the “host plant” for monarchs. Adult monarchs drink the nectar of many species of flowering plants. It is important for monarch habitat to provide food sources for both caterpillars and adult butterflies, so plant native milkweed and nectar flowers in your habitat!
Can monarch caterpillars eat anything other than milkweed?
Actually, no. Monarch caterpillars do only eat plants in the Milkweed family (Asclepias spp), so if we want to help them out in our wildlife gardens, we still need to add these plants to our gardens. Monarch caterpillars do not feed on tomato plants, despite what may seem like circumstantial evidence to the contrary.
Is the relationship between monarch butterflies and milkweed mutualism or Commensalism?
Are monarch butterflies beneficial?
More than beautiful, monarch butterflies contribute to the health of our planet. While feeding on nectar, they pollinate many types of wildflowers. Monarch butterflies are also an important food source for birds, small animals, and other insects.
Do Monarchs benefit milkweed?
Common milkweed and most other milkweed species found throughout the United States are native, beneficial wildflowers. Monarchs are not the only species to benefit from milkweed. There are many species that eat milkweed leaves or seeds, like milkweed beetles, large milkweed bugs, and tussock moths.
Why do monarch butterflies only lay eggs on milkweed?
The only plant on which, the Monarch Butterflies lay eggs is the milkweed plant. It is because, the caterpillars only feed on the leaves of this specific plant, which consist a toxic chemical that actually protects them from their predators.
What attracts monarch butterflies?
The miss molly plant is a non-invasive variety of plant and blooms a bright, true red color that’s sure to attract monarch butterflies. This one is actually a favorite amongst butterflies.
What is the best plant for monarch butterflies?
One popular milkweed plant favored by monarchs is the scarlet milkweed (Asclepias curassavica)–sometimes referred to as the bloodflower. Monarchs also enjoy the swamp milkweed ( Asclepias incarnata ) and butterfly flower ( Asclepias tuberosa).
What do butterflies like milkweed?
Common milkweed ( Asclepias syriaca) is a native herbaceous perennial whose main virtue is its appeal to butterflies -especially the monarch, which deposits its eggs on the milkweed. When the caterpillars hatch, they feed on the leaves of milkweed. Common milkweed plants grow to about 2 to 4 feet in height, with a thin, vertical growth habit.