Wormsloe Gardens Brief Report October 10, 2013 report by Ania Majewska

Monarch and Queen continue to breed at the gardens. Because the native Swamp milkweed plants begun dormancy, most of the breeding activity is occurring on the exotic Tropical milkweed plants. I observed very high densities of larvae on some Tropical milkweed plants (5 to 14 late stage larvae per plant). Interestingly, for the first time this year I collected Monarch larvae and pupae (7 total) infected with a called tachinid ( archippivora). Generally, tachinid lay their eggs on host monarch larvae. Once parasitic tachinid eggs hatch, they burrow into host monarch larvae. Tachinid larvae develops inside the monarch catterpillar while feeding off the host. When monarch larvae pupate, monarchs die from effects of parasitism, at which point, full-grown tachinid larvae string down from dead monarch larvae (see photo on right) and pupate on the ground.

As we continue to survey butterfly species diversity we add 5 new species to list: Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) Zebra Longtail (Heliconius charitonius) White Peacock (Anartia jatrophae) Sachem (Atalopedes campestris) Ocola Skipper (Panoquina ocola) Monarch died due to parasitism Monarch (Danaus plexippus) by tachinid fly larva (in red circle). Queen (Danaus gilippus) Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) Palamedes Swallowtail (Papilio palamedes) Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae) Tiny Yellow (Pyrisitia lisa) Long-tailed skipper (Urbanus proteus) Hackberry Emperor ( ) Buckeye (Junonia coenia) Tersa Sphinx (Xylophanes tersa)

I also begun identifying (starting with bumble bees and wasps): Bombus fraternus Bombus impatiens Campsomeris quadrimaculata

Monarch can also be host to tachinid fly larva. Note the long string the larva used to descend to the ground.