Animalscaretips
It seems to be a type of mutualism. We know that the monarch derives both food and protection from the milkweed. However, the caterpillars can eat Dogbane instead of Milkweed and get the same protection, because of the poisonous cardiac glycosides found in that common plant.
- What is the relationship between a monarch butterfly and milkweed?
- Is the relationship between monarch butterflies and milkweed mutualism or Commensalism?
- What is the connection between monarch butterflies and our food system?
- What is the toxin in monarch butterflies?
- Why are monarchs attracted to milkweed?
- How do Monarch butterflies feed?
- What type of relationship do the butterfly and the flower have?
- What is mutualism relationship?
- Is Commensalism positive or negative?
- What is the purpose of monarch butterflies?
- What is causing the decline of monarch butterflies?
- What would happen if the Monarch butterfly become extinct?
- How toxic is milkweed?
- Why do monarch butterflies taste bad?
- Do poisonous caterpillars turn into poisonous butterflies?
What is the relationship between a monarch butterfly and milkweed?
But what does the monarch do for the milkweed? As the adult butterfly flies from flower to flower looking for food, it helps to pollinate the milkweed. This allows the milkweed to successfully produce seeds that will grow and attract more monarchs in the years to come.
Is the relationship between monarch butterflies and milkweed mutualism or 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 is the connection between monarch butterflies and our food system?
Monarch butterflies need milkweed plants to lay their eggs. More than beautiful, monarch butterflies contribute to the health of our planet. While feeding on nectar, they pollinate many types of wildflowers.
What is the toxin in monarch butterflies?
The monarch stores a poison called cardenolides, or cardiac glycosides that it gets from the plants it eats. This poison is similar to digitalis, which can be used to help people with heart problems, but can kill people if they consume too much of it.
Why are monarchs attracted to milkweed?
Monarchs Need Milkweed
Monarch caterpillars ONLY eat milkweed. In fact, the monarch butterfly is also known as the “milkweed butterfly.” The milkweed plant provides all the nourishment the monarch needs to transform the Monarch caterpillar into the adult butterfly.
How do Monarch butterflies feed?
Use the canned nectar in place of sugar water and either place it in a plastic bottle cap or saturate a tissue with it. Or provide nectar-bearing flowers, especially milkweed -- the monarch's food of choice.
What type of relationship do the butterfly and the flower have?
Butterflies are commonly said to have a symbiotic relationship with flowers. Mutualism is just one of three types of symbiosis and is characterized by each species receiving a specific benefit from the other.
What is mutualism relationship?
Mutualism is a type of symbiotic relationship where all species involved benefit from their interactions.
Is Commensalism positive or negative?
In a commensalism, two species have a long-term interaction that is beneficial to one and has no positive or negative effect on the other (+/0 interaction). For instance, many of the bacteria that inhabit our bodies seem to have a commensal relationship with us.
What is the purpose of monarch butterflies?
Why are monarch butterflies important? Monarch butterflies are pollinators! As monarchs forage for nectar, they can unintentionally move pollen within and between flowers. This movement of pollen helps flowering plants make seeds, which can eventually disperse and grow into more plants.
What is causing the decline of monarch butterflies?
In recent decades, population surveys reveal monarchs declining because of deforestation in Mexico, loss of grasslands in the Great Plains' Corn Belt — which the Center for Biological Diversity calls “the heart of the monarch's range” — and loss of native milkweed plants in the U.S. Such habitat losses negatively ...
What would happen if the Monarch butterfly become extinct?
Therefore, if monarchs are in trouble because they don't have enough habitat, then many of our other pollinators and wildlife that share their habitat are in trouble as well. ... The declining monarch population parallels other declining pollinator populations, which in turn impacts human food systems.
How toxic is milkweed?
Milkweed grows throughout the US and is essential for the survival of monarch butterflies. All parts of the plant contain toxic cardiac glycosides, which can cause nausea, diarrhea, weakness, and confusion in small amounts, and seizures, heart rhythm changes, respiratory paralysis, and even death in large amounts.
Why do monarch butterflies taste bad?
Monarch larvae eat milkweed plants that contain chemicals poisonous to birds and other predators. Because of these chemicals, monarchs taste bad when they are eaten by an animal. The animal becomes ill, vomits and learns to avoid this butterfly or others that look similar.
Do poisonous caterpillars turn into poisonous butterflies?
The monarch butterfly caterpillar (Danaus plexippus) turns from a poisonous crawling bug into one of the best-known butterflies in North America. ... This venom in this caterpillar comes from all the milkweed it eats and is enough to sicken or poison predators who try to make a meal of it.
