The Developing History of Monarch Butterflies
Stuff You Missed in History Class
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Monarch Butterflies in North America
Monarch butterflies are generally considered to be native o north and south america. Hawaii, spain and australia all have their own monarch populations. The western breeding group consists of the butterflies that are west of the rocky mountains. And the eastern group lives and breeds primarily in canada and the great plains. Based on fossil record evidence, we know that butterflies have been around for roughly a hundred and 75 million years.
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Monarch butterflies are still in the middle of their story – and it’s one that is precarious. Humans are still trying to figure out a lot about them, and aspects of the monarch story have been misrepresented over the years.
Research:
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- Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Danaus". Encyclopedia Britannica, 15 Feb. 2018, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Danaus-Greek-mythology
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- Müller-Wille, Staffan. "Carolus Linnaeus". Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 May. 2022, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Carolus-Linnaeus
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- Hannibal, Mary Ellen. “How you can help save the monarch butterfly -- and the planet.” TEDTalk. April 28, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvJTbegktKc
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- Associated Press. “Beloved monarch butterflies are now listed as endangered.” WBEZ Chicago. July 23, 2022. https://www.wbez.org/stories/beloved-monarch-butterflies-are-now-listed-as-endangered/0f3cf69b-8376-42eb-af0a-9e8b8b4ab6b3
- Garland, Mark S., and Andrew K. Davis. “An Examination of Monarch Butterfly (Danaus Plexippus) Autumn Migration in Coastal Virginia.” The American Midland Naturalist, vol. 147, no. 1, 2002, pp. 170–74. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/3083045
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- Walker, A., Oberhauser, K.S., Pelton, E.M., Pleasants, J.M. & Thogmartin, W.E. 2022. Danaus plexippus ssp. plexippus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T194052138A200522253. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2022-1.RLTS.T194052138A200522253.en
- Price, Michael. “Monarch miscalculation: Has a scientific error about the butterflies persisted for more than 40 years?” Science. Feb. 24, 2007. https://www.science.org/content/article/monarch-miscalculation-has-scientific-error-about-butterflies-persisted-more-40-years
- Jiang, Kevin. “Study sheds light on evolutionary origins and the genes central to migration.” UChicago News. Oct. 6, 2014. https://news.uchicago.edu/story/genetic-secrets-monarch-butterfly-revealed
- Borkin, Susan Sullivan. “Notes on Shifting Distribution Patterns and Survival of Immature Danaus Plexippus (Lepidoptera: Danaidae) on the Food Plant Asclepias Syriaca.” The Great Lakes Entymologist. Vol. 15, No. 3. Fall 1982. https://scholar.valpo.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1437&context=tgle
- Cudmore, Rebecca. “SNAPSHOT: Monarchs with big, bright wings arrive in Mexico first.” ScienceLine. June 16, 2014. https://scienceline.org/2014/06/monarch-migration/
- Brower, Lincoln P. “UNDERSTANDING AND MISUNDERSTANDING THE MIGRAnON OF THE MONARCH BUTTERFLY (NYMPHALIDAE) IN NORTH AMERICA: 1857-1995.” Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society. Vol. 49, No. 4, 1995. https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/Monarch_Butterfly/documents/Understanding_Monarch_Migration1995-Brower.pdf
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