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>Monarch Watch Update - January 31, 2006 >http://www.MonarchWatch.org >[log in to unmask] > >========================================== > >Contents: > >1) Status of the Population > >2) Monarch Waystations > >3) Western Monarchs > >4) White Monarchs > >5) California Conference > >6) Tag Recoveries > >7) Tagging Datasheets > >8) About Monarch Watch > >========================================== > >Unless otherwise noted, all content was authored by Chip Taylor, >edited by Jim Lovett and Sarah Schmidt, and published by Jim Lovett. >The complete web version of this update is available at: >http://www.MonarchWatch.org/update/2006/0131.html > >========================================== > >1) Status of the Population > >Although the number of monarchs overwintering in Mexico this year is >higher than last year (2.19 hectares), we still don't have a good >idea of the overall size of the population. Reports from those who >have visited various monarch colonies in Mexico indicate that while >at least one colony is larger than normal, others are normal in size >or smaller than usual. Even though the information available at this >time is fragmentary, it would appear that the total population will >be within the range of 5-7 hectares. If true, the size of the >population will fit the predictions made in the July 2005 Update. >Hopefully, we will be able to cite the official measurements >generated by the efforts of Eduardo Rendon and his crew from World >Wildlife Fund Mexico next month. ... > >[ Read the full text of this article at >http://www.MonarchWatch.org/update/2006/0131.html#1 ] > >========================================== > >2) Monarch Waystations > >When we created the Monarch Waystation program, we envisioned that >only Americans and a few Canadians would be interested in creating >their own monarch habitats. We overlooked the fact that there are >monarch lovers in many parts of the world and that the habitat >issues we've raised to justify the Waystation program resonate with >people elsewhere. Our oversight was brought to our attention by an >inquiry about how to create a Monarch Waystation in New Zealand and >an application from Erika Gates to register a Monarch Waystation on >Grand Bahama Island - fantastic! ... > >[ Read the full text of this article at >http://www.MonarchWatch.org/update/2006/0131.html#2 ] > >========================================== > >3) Western Monarchs - by Mia Monroe > >The Pineapple Express (warm and very wet tropical storms) hit the >west coast for several weeks from Winter Solstice through the new >year. Intrepid monitors visited sites in early January to see just >which sites offered protection to butterflies, the status of the >western population and to continue to provide tours to the public... > >[ Read the full text of this article at >http://www.MonarchWatch.org/update/2006/0131.html#3 ] > >========================================== > >4) White Monarchs > >... I'll get to that eventually but what brings white monarchs to >the fore at this juncture is the discovery of what may be the first >white monarch in Australia in at least 25 years. The very first >white monarch in Australia was found in Brisbane in 1980 (De Baar >1982). The recent discovery was brought to my attention via an email >from Nigel Venters sent on the 1st of January. Nigel had been in >communication with Anne Collins, a butterfly breeder in Australia. >Anne had the good fortune to catch a white female monarch and two >male monarchs with hind wings that were mostly white in Cornubia, >30km south of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. The name for the all >white monarch form is nivosus. The partially white monarchs vary in >the area of white/orange on the hind wing and are considered to be >aberrations. Anne contacted Nigel to get his advice on how to breed >from the white female. ... > >[ Read the full text of this article at >http://www.MonarchWatch.org/update/2006/0131.html#4 ] > >========================================== > >5) California Conference > >The big event in December was the monarch conference (8-9 December) >sponsored by California Polytechnic State University (known as Cal >Poly) and Helen Johnson of Salinas, California. ... The meeting was >a mixture of talks by speakers, such as Lincoln Brower, Karen >Oberhauser, Dennis Frey, Sonia Altizer, Andy Davis and myself, >breakout sessions to discuss topics such as how to improve >monarch-monitoring programs and poster sessions by students. Student >participation in the meeting was supported by Karen Oberhauser's >Monarch Larva Monitoring Program. In addition, on the second day, we >visited the local monarch colony at Pismo where there were >demonstrations of tagging, discussions of monarch reproductive >biology, etc. For those who stayed after the meeting, Karen >Oberhauser arranged for a trip to Morrow Bay State Park and north >along the Pacific coast to San Simeon State Beach and Piedras Blancas. ... > >[ Read the full text of this article at >http://www.MonarchWatch.org/update/2006/0131.html#5 ] > >========================================== > >6) Tag Recoveries > >The first tags recovered in Mexico this overwintering season were >sent to us by Eduardo Rendon Salinas. Eduardo works for the World >Wildlife Foundation Mexico where he is in charge of several projects >including the monitoring of the monarch colonies. This is the second >year in a row that Eduardo has provided information on the first >tags of the year. These tags were found as Eduardo and his team >began their surveys of the colonies. ... Anna Maria Moreno found the >9 tags listed below at Los Carditos, a monarch colony on Cerro Pelon. ... > >[ Read the full text of this article at >http://www.MonarchWatch.org/update/2006/0131.html#6 ] > >========================================== > >7) Tagging Datasheets > >We would like to thank all of you who have turned in your >datasheets. The data from these sheets is being entered into a >database as these records are received. The database will be used to >extract the data for each recovery and to identify the regional >differences in tagging and recovery success. We may also be able to >infer the relative size of the monarch population from these data. >Judging by the number of datasheets being returned, we suspect that >the ratio of butterflies tagged to the number of tags issued will be >the best in the history of our program. In most years only 25-35% of >the tags are used. The proportion should be higher this year. > >If you have yet to send us your datasheet, please locate it before >it gets lost and send it on to us. The quality of the data improves >as the records become more complete. > >========================================== > >8) About Monarch Watch > >Monarch Watch (http://www.MonarchWatch.org) is a not-for-profit >educational outreach program based at the University of Kansas. We >manage several educational, conservation and research programs - >focusing on the monarch butterfly, its habitat and the spectacular >fall monarch migration. > >Previous updates are available online at > >http://www.MonarchWatch.org/update > >If you have any questions about this email or any of our programs >please feel free to contact us anytime. > >Thank you for your continued interest and support! > >Monarch Watch >http://www.MonarchWatch.org >[log in to unmask] > >This e-mail may be reproduced, printed, or otherwise redistributed >as long as it is provided in full and without any modification. >Requests to do otherwise must be approved in writing by Monarch Watch.