Hello from Oaxaca! A few updates on monarchs and milkweed, February 2018…
Click here for my photo blog on Monarchs and Milkweed in Mexico Part II
See this great book review in American Entomologist
And finally, a bit of humor, I think. Illinois has changed its state wildflower to milkweed. When I asked my colleague, Prof. May Berenbaum of the University of Illinois about this, here is what she said: “??!! What happened to the violet?? It has been the state flower since 1908. If lawmakers were looking for a nice conservation story, it’s the host plant of the regal fritillary, which is threatened in Illinois. I guess “monarch” sounds more noble than “regal”? If there is one thing that’s appealing about changing the state flower to milkweed, it’s that I think we’d be the only state where one state symbol eats the other…Nobody said politics was a pretty business…” Yes, Illinois is one of the 7 US States with the monarch as their state insect!
Check out Shujie (Silvia) Li’s botanical art site
Apparently milkweed is the new Illinois State Wildflower, not replacing the violet as State Flower. Ironically, reportedly a similar move to protect milkweed from being classified a noxious weed by local Illinois governments did not get approved. http://www.midwestgroundcovers.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/whatsnew.detail/recID/59/index.htm
When you return to the states, will you be speaking to groups?
Thanks for your comment! Yes, I will be available for speaking but will have a heavy teaching load in the fall of 2018. All my best, -Anurag
The bill providing that counties and municipalities may not classify milkweed as a noxious weed passed.
Interesting! If you have a web link to a news story or information, please send it on. Thnx!
Hi Steve, Please contact me at CraigtheButterflyman@gmail.com