insects Article High Survivorship of First-Generation Monarch Butterfly Eggs to Third Instar Associated with a Diverse Arthropod Community Misty Stevenson 1, Kalynn L. Hudman 2, Alyx Scott 3, Kelsey Contreras 4 and Jeffrey G. Kopachena 2,* 1 Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, 8525 Garland Road, Dallas, TX 75218, USA;
[email protected] 2 Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Texas AM University—Commerce, Commerce, TX 75428, USA;
[email protected] 3 Houston Zoo, 6200 Herman Park Drive, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
[email protected] 4 Environmental Health and Safety, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76019, USA;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected] Simple Summary: The eastern migratory population of the monarch butterfly has been the focus of extensive conservation efforts in recent years. However, there are gaps in our knowledge about the survival of first, or spring generation, monarchs in their core areas of Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. This is important because the spring generation represents the first stage of annual recovery from overwinter mortality. It is, therefore, an important stage for monarch conservation efforts. This study showed that, in the context of a complex arthropod community in north Texas, first generation monarch survival was high. The study found that survival was not directly related to predators on the host plant, but was higher on host plants that harbored a greater number and variety of Citation: Stevenson, M.; Hudman, other, non-predatory arthropods. This is possibly because the presence of alternate, preferable prey K.L.; Scott, A.; Contreras, K.; enabled monarch eggs and larvae to be overlooked by predators.