Nebraskaland

APRIL 2017 • NEBRASKAland 23 Last issue's winner of the Visitor drawing was Cindy Fankhauser of Kearney, Nebraska, who found the mourning cloak butterfly on page 8. Readers are encouraged to contact NEBRASKAland within 10 days after this issue's publication with the correct page number and name of this issue's "Visitor" – a critter found in Nebraska. We will then gather the correct entries and draw one to win a NEBRASKAland mug. To enter each month, write: NEBRASKAland Visitor 2200 North 33rd Street Lincoln, NE 68503 Or e-mail: Tim.Reigert@Nebraska.gov with "Visitor" in the subject line of the message. HINT: This issue's visitor is not on page 5, 15, 17, 23, or 63. The mourning cloak is a large butterfly, with a wingspan of 2-4 inches. These butterflies can be found throughout much of the U.S., including Nebraska. Their wings are deep maroon to black, with a thick yellow band along the edge. This insect overwinters in the adult stage, with adults seeking shelter in cracks and under bark. They may become active on warm, sunny winter days. Mating occurs in the spring, and females lay eggs on host plants, which include willows, hackberry, birch, elm and cottonwood. Caterpillars hatch and begin to feed, staying together on the plant. In mid- to late-spring, the caterpillars will pupate. Adults emerge in June and July and feed for a short time on tree sap and fermented fruit before becoming inactive. This summer inactive period is termed aestivation. They will resume feeding in the fall before finding a spot to overwinter. Special thanks to Julie Van Meter, State Entomologist, Nebraska Department of Agriculture. NEBRASKAland Visitor Monarch Count from Mexico By Kristal Stoner, Wildlife Diversity Program Manager Although the monarch butterfly appears small and delicate, it maintains one of the last great animal migrations. Every year milkweed-fed monarchs born in the United States and Canada undergo a 3,400 mile journey to the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico. Monarchs fly about 100 miles each day, so their migration can take two months each fall. Monarchs spend the winter roosting in oyamel fir forests that typically have cool temperatures and ideal humidity that allows them to conserve their energy. They cluster together to stay warm. Tens of thousands of monarchs can cluster on a single tree, so the trees appear to be orange. Since 1994, scientists have been measuring the area of forest covered with monarchs as a way to estimate the monarch population east of the Rocky Mountains. The monarch population peak was in 1996, when butterflies covered 18 hectares. This year's official population estimate is 146 million monarchs, covering an area of just 2.91 hectares (7 acres). Unfortunately, this is down 27 percent from last year's area of 4.01 hectares. In early 2016, just when the monarchs were preparing to begin their migration north, storms blew down over 100 acres of forest. The storms happened after the official monarch survey, but scientists speculated that those storms killed over 6 million butterflies. Unfortunately, this means the monarch still faces possible extinction for the entire eastern half of the United States. The current population is only half of the necessary 6 hectares necessary for monarch recovery. With such low population numbers, winter storms and summer droughts could have devastating effects. There is still hope for monarchs. While it faces many challenges across its migration, it has tremendous potential for recovery. In early June, Nebraska usually sees the first migrants north. You can help monarchs by planting milkweed, a variety of flowers that will bloom from June until fall and avoid using pesticides. For more information, visit: monarchwatch.org/blog. ■ winner of ASKAland and r Migrating monarch butterflies are pictured on a fir tree branch in Michoacan, Mexico.

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