This Parasite is Cramping The Monarch Butterfly’s Style | Deep Look
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- Опубликовано: 10 окт 2022
- Monarchs are locked in a battle with Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE), a parasite that can trap a butterfly in its own chrysalis and deform its beautiful wings. Turns out there is a wrong way, and a right way, for you to help these butterflies in your backyard.
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Monarch butterflies are one of the most recognizable animals in the world, but these beloved insects face have lost much of their historic milkweed habitat to agriculture and development. As a result, monarchs are more concentrated on the milkweed plants they have left.
Monarch caterpillars are completely reliant on milkweed for food and many people plant milkweed in their yards to help them. But not all milkweed is the same.
Tropical milkweed, with its pretty orange and red flowers, doesn’t die back in the fall and that means that the protozoan parasite Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE) has more time to build up on its leaves.
Monarch caterpillars inadvertently ingest the spores, which release the microscopic parasites into the caterpillar’s flesh. When a heavily infected monarch goes through metamorphosis, the butterfly will have lesions on its abdomen, making it stick to the inside of its chrysalis.
“It gets stuck and you really see the butterfly struggle at that point which is a sad sight,” says Jacobus de Roode, a researcher at Emory University in Atlanta who studies the relationship between monarchs and OE.
“Normally the butterfly comes out very smoothly, it pops out and starts pumping up those wings. But when they get stuck you can see them for minutes or even hours struggling and they just can’t get out. It’s kind of traumatic.”
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--- How do monarch butterflies help humans?
Monarch butterflies are important pollinators that are hugely beneficial to the ecosystems in which they are found.
--- Where do monarch butterflies migrate each year?
In the fall, monarch butterflies travel to their overwintering locations. The majority of monarchs live east of the Rock Mountains and they travel to central Mexico. The monarchs that spend their summers west of the Rockies travel to the central California coast. There is some overlap between the populations of monarchs.
--- How do monarch butterflies protect themselves?
Monarch caterpillars feed on milkweed plants, which contain toxic substances called cardiac glycosides that accumulate in the caterpillar’s flesh and stay with it even after it metamorphoses into a butterfly. Both monarch caterpillars and butterflies have vibrant warning colors that tell predators that they don’t taste good.
---+ Find additional resources and a transcript on KQED Science:
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---+ For more information:
The de Roode Lab at Emory University in Atlanta: deroodelab.org/
---+ More Great Deep Look episodes:
Glasswing Butterflies Want To Make Something Perfectly Clear | Deep Look
• Glasswing Butterflies ...
The Pipevine Caterpillar Thrives in a Toxic Love Triangle | Deep Look
• The Pipevine Caterpill...
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I saw at least 1 monarch this past September and I was surprised to see one here in Southern California while on my evening walk.
I remember growing up in the late 90s to 00's and seeing them around quite often in my elementary school. It's quite sad to see why they've become less common in my area maybe for this reason.
I'll definitely get some native milkweed and put some in my backyard ☺️
I love seeing Monarch Butterflies a plenty.
Thanks, Sentarry!
1 big thing killing them off is the herbicide roundup. Milkweed is real sensitive to it. And as it washes off people's sidewalks and lawns in to the drainage systems it contaminates the land and kills off the milkweed all along the way.
@@KQEDDeepLook that voice 🤮🤮
Brow that Voice over 😬
Be cautious if you have pets. Milkweed is poisonous.
Fun fact: when butterflies are going through metamorphosis their entier body turns into a goo with it's brian floating in it, and then it reasambles it self into a butterfly shape. Pretty wild if you ask me.
Your sayings pre butterflies are slime?
I heard that previously myself, but it turns out that that is incorrect
@@aimeewillis708 Basically! They turn into mush as they metamorphosise, completely changing practically everything about themselves, yet keeping their caterpillar memories, strangely enough.
@@SnakeDude. does that mean that we ourselves are also nothing but the memories in our brain?
@@CeeJMantis which part is untrue? the definition of 'slime'? Just curious
Thank you so much for making this! I only learned about OE a few months ago, but since then I've cut down my tropical milkweed bushes and replaced them with native varieties, and am currently working on planting more native plants in my garden. Its so important for people to know the important of native plants, and how planting invasive/non natives can have significant impacts on wildlife.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you! Growing native plants is vitally important and the best decision I've made in my life to convert our entire yard to 100% native plants and zero turf grass...lots of biodiversity.
This video could not have come out at a better time.
We had planted tropical milkweed in our front yard and it attracted many monarchs early in August and later in September, we noticed several caterpillars on the plants which was a sight to see! Felt like a monarch hotel! Even though about 10 or 15 caterpillars were on the plants, only 5 were able to make a chrysalis, and out of those, 4 hatched and seemed okay! No deformations or struggling to get out. But the last one still hasnt hatched and its darkened quite a bit now. So I hope that one isnt infected with OE or just got hit by a wasp. Here's to hoping for the best!
unfortunately sometimes oe infected monarchs never come out. happened to a couple of mine when i used to have tropical... since ive planted 10 narrowleaf milkweeds cause im in cali(asclepias fascicularis), i have tested my monarch scales and ALL are healthy!
@@keiko3099 You are the best kind of nerd. Nerdy for kindness.
Don’t feel bad if some die. I’m a huge butterfly nerd (you can check my channel haha) and I have raised Monarchs before, and between OE and tachnid wasps, which are smaller than rice grains, it’s virtually impossible to have a “perfect” year. You will always get some that have blotches of black and don’t make it.
I am raising Giant Swallowtails here in SoCal now, and even a few of those guys have come out with deformed wings. It just happens sometimes, but think of it this way: generally, only 1 out of every 200 eggs survives into a butterfly. That’s .005%. If you take in 10 caterpillars and only 5 turn into healthy adults, that’s an artificial 50% survival rate you made! :)
@@GoingtoHecq haha thanks! XD 2 years ago i got obsessed so now i have a ton of plants and shirts
@@keiko3099 right on brother. We gotta take care of this planet.
It's distressing just how many ripple effects invasive species cause...
Especially when well meaning people accidentally cause the problem.
The information is extra important.
It's quite sad how these beautiful butterflies are unable to show their colours due to that protozoan. It is multiplying too much! Hopefully we can decrease the amount of them so it wouldn't harm the butterflies anymore! They aren't even able to to fly! And here I thought that being poisonous would deter anything from harming them :(. besides, they are threatened! So glad people are making efforts to help them!
Edit: guys stop harassing me i didn't know. Let me change it.
It's quite sad how this amazing fungus gets talked down by the likes of u
@@yalanyalan698 what?
Ophryocystis elektroscirrha is a protozoan not a fungus.
@@hejgustavful it said spores. i got confused. also i thought only some plants and all fungi produced it. thx for info tho.
@@yalanyalan698 trol
I recently did a study on OE and found spores in local monarchs in my area. Since then I’ve published a paper of my findings and have been spreading the word. It was so cool yet horrifying seeing OE spores underneath the microscope- I really love that you guys are spreading the word and telling others about how to test them! I know testing them has helped me learn so much more about them and others 🦋
And they were trying to blame us for the reduced population of the monarchs. Most likely it was one of the scientists who brought in the parasite when they planted the milkweeds.
The footage in this episode is absolutely incredible! The detail on the egg that gets eaten by the newborn caterpillar is so so cool. You folks behind Deep Look clearly put a ton of time into getting these macro shots and I'm just amazed that it's freely available on the internet.
And they were trying to blame us for the reduced population of the monarchs. Most likely it was one of the scientists who brought in the parasite when they planted the milkweeds.
I do this type of work professionally so I design monarch habitats. I only place native milkweed in their habitats but I had no idea that tropical milkweed was causing them to not migrate. Good information!
Also tropical milkweed makes OE flourish even more than never before if we don’t cut it down.
And they were trying to blame us for the reduced population of the monarchs. Most likely it was one of the scientists who brought in the parasite when they planted the milkweeds. Also, your comment proves why I dont trust "professionals" and "experts." They simply forget the basics or no longer crave new knowledge. This is why I believe we need more research scientists. Not just scientists that are employed by corporations to make a profit but scientists that just do research for the knowledge of mankind.
It's always so fascinating when a new Deep Look vid gets upload, monarch butterflies are amazing, i love watching them here in Mexico, hopefully something is done to stop that infection
Ah deep look. My favorite channel to watch for disturbing aspects of nature
This is really sad to see honestly... Great video!
Who would guess that "helping" the local environment by using non native species would be a doble backlash...
One good thing is more and more people know about the relationship between the monarchs and milkweed and people are leaving milkweed patches for the butterflies rather than mowing it down, and I have seen more (wild)milkweed around here in Michigan this year than I have seen in quite a few years.
So many reasons to only plant native species. We don't always realize the cascade of effects that can happen until decades later.
As a guy who enjoy watching Monarch butterfly going thru life stages, this sadden me. I have never ever knew that monarch butterflies would come down with this horrible parasite that would harm them or cripple them.
I'll be sure to find some native milkweeds and plant them in the backyard once they're back in season :)
So basically the milkweed and that parasite have a "mutualistic" relationship when it comes to fighting off these butterflies(or rather their caterpillars that eat the milkweed)? It's never really black and white when it comes to nature, there are so many nuances. It's very fascinating.
i encourage ordering seeds and live plants from joyfulbutterfly (just search that site up!) natives are a lot harder to find in nurseries cause either they have pesticides or they just dont carry them because theyre not "Showy" enough or die down in the winter.. anyways joyfulbutterfly is where i get mine from (i have 30 plants!) and they can even show you yours according to your state!
2:41 HES TOUCHING THE WINGS NOOOOO
Thankyou as always deeplook for this video!!! Love it and Keep it up!!!
You are welcome, JAKI! Our next video will be about 🐝 yellowjackets, in November. Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss it!
@@KQEDDeepLook looking forward to it🥰🥰🥰
i would love a full deep look documentary one day. these videos are written and narrated very well :)
Spectacular footage and great video Deep Look team!
I discovered OE this summer when I found a butterfly with a crumpled wing. It could not fly so I let it sit on my arm for a while. The poor thing never wanted to leave my side and it lived for about a week and a half in my garden. I was so sad about my new butterfly friend so i researched OE and decided to help out by planting tons of native milkweed and raising my own monarchs. I found 3 OE infested butterflies with crumpled wings this year, I hope we can find a way to eliminate the parasite soon.
The parasite isn't the problem, people introducing exotic milkweed where it doesn't belong are. Normally, tropical milkweed is protected by the protozoan, as monarchs will feed on it year round in their native habitats, with very few predators and parasites to control them other than this one due to the latex in their bodies. This protozoan is just doing what it has been doing for millennia, and is only problematic now because people have ruined monarch butterfly habitat.
Temperate milkweed does not support the parasite very well as only a couple generations of monarchs will feed on a single temperate plant before migration, the remaining protozoans will die with the plant. Also, in these temperate locations, the parasite typically doesn't reach infestation proportions unless some tropical milkweed is introduced. So really, all you have to do is grow temperate milkweed, and get rid of any exotic species you encounter, unless you live in the tropics in which case no interference is needed. Eradication of the parasite is not necessary, and would probably just result in monarchs wiping out their only tropical food source.
Thanks for the new videos Deep Look!
Butterflies have to dissolve into disgusting piles of Goo to become butterflies.
So if you're a mess wrapped in blankets right now, keep going.
Love that it ended with something actionable, great vid as always DL!
I was on a walk a few days ago with my grandma and saw a milkweed with some seed pods so we grabbed one to plant it in our butterfly garden so I’m hoping it will work. If you have any tips on growing milkweed let me know!
milkweed is a very tough plant, here in Chicago, milkweed survives the coldest winter and dry summer without any problem. as long as the seeds are spread, they will grow the second year.
Sow the seeds in the fall, they need to cold moist stratify and will do so over the winter. Good luck.
Wow, seeing the cycle of a monarch butterfly upclose is just soo mesmerizing! Good stuff, Deep Look!
Thank you for this detailed video, I had no idea what some monarchs go through!😮😃❤🦋
Your videos never disappointed me! Thank you! Let’s hope scientists can figure out something to help those beautiful 🦋
Let's put pressure on big box stores that sell tropical milkweed. Customers assume it's safe.
Amazing footage, and you did a fantastic job explaining the biology and emphasizing the need to plant native milkweed for monarchs. It's so important to create diverse and healthy habitats for butterflies and other insect species and the complex web of species they interact with.
Super thanks for sharing!!! Deep look shorts are the best! 🔆
This was so informative. Thank you.
OMG thank you deep look 4 these informations
You bet.
Good video, I think in the future tho maybe go into just a little more detail into which milkweed and the solution
Thank you for posting this information! We raise black swallowtail caterpillars here, but were wanting to start planting milkweed for monarchs as well, since they occasionally fly into our yard as well. This is good stuff to know for when we begin!
I really like the recommendations to help the mo arch butterflies; more suggewtions about other life would be amazing!
That was very interesting. I hope the word gets spread.
Can you guys add Spanish captions to the video. This video has the greatest OE parasite-explanation ever!!! And here in Mexico, we are starting to have OE cases with our monarchs. Can you guys add Spanish captions to this video? If so, you are gonna help us save hundreds of monarchs, and we are gonna enhance our conservation efforts to better support this beautiful butterfly 😊💖❤️🦋🐛
Deep Look with another upload :) I like monarch butterflies 🦋 but this reminds me of the fly zombie
Excellent video and that is truly sad to see
Finally! Been waiting for so long
Oof that was hard to watch for some reason, seeing the butterfly just decimated like that! Thanks for bringing this to my attention as I had no idea about this parasite.
Thanks for the information!🥺 let's help our little buddies as much as we can
I've been the Monarch Paradise in Michoacan, MX. Let me tell you it is such a beautiful sight. Everytime I travel to Michoacan I go. It's absolutely beautiful!!! 🦋
That would make sense why this year I actually started seeing monarchs (or maybe there impersonators) later more towards fall. I barely saw any this summer
Learning about AS much as possible,I STARTED growing milkweed last year and I have seen two caterpillars eating the leaves! I only saw one parent so NEXT year hoping to see more every year!
This video is very timely. I'm going to a California Native Plants convention next week. Im definitely talking about and showing this video around, esp in the identifying pathogens workshop
Please do!
I work on campus and never knew this was here!!! I'm doing to go take a look!!
“It breaks *FREE* from its chrysalis”
Really cool!
Time to take a deep look.
What would happen if we helped one of them out of their chrysalis? Would we only hurt them?
Oh yes it would! The butterflies use the force from pushing itself out of the chrysalis to pump its wings full of blood to make them big! If you removed them, their wings would be small and weak as they used no pressure to get out of the chrysalis
@@Velkhana_The_Myth thanks!!
Duh
Love from India 🇮🇳🇮🇳 and congratulations for achieving 2 million milestone...👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Scary indeed. That could potentially cause extinction of a species, or already happened anywhere else in the history?
This is a very interesting footage. Researchers have made a great job! So did deeplook. Thanks.
Awesome, thank you
You're welcome!
This last week, I was lucky to spot a tagged monarch outside at my work. I didn't use to live in the main migration path so I don't know how common they are in my area but I was so excited that I dropped what I was doing to report it online. It felt like finding a unicorn.
Poor things are dealing with a pandemic too.
Can't wait for the video about yellow jackets I hope they talk about mold next
Keep spreadin' them facts, love this channel!
I raise monarch caterpillars on the native milkweed that I grow in my yard for them (NOT TROPICAL). I had a pretty successful year this year I released 52 butterflies I was actually surprised I had that many because of all the hardships monarchs face. I bring them in as eggs because of pest that eat them and tactic flies they will lay their eggs in monarchs and when the caterpillar is nice and chunky the larvae basically split the caterpillar open eating it from the inside out😔 I hope we don't lose something so beautiful. 🐛🐛🦋🦋🌿🌿
Love the music in this one! Just in time for the spooky season >:)
deep respects to deep look
I learned the red milkweed was a poor choice for monarchs but not sure why so thankful for the information!
That sucks.
Every November I cut my milkweed but I tried growing native milkweed. it's insanely difficult. if it weren't for the tropical milkweed I think these things would be extinct. Thanks to the tropical milkweed my grandmother probably raised over 1000 caterpillars.
very good info...
Awesome PSA video. Plant native!
Didnt realise this is a recent upload
Yep - just released this morning. But if you want mor we have over 150 episodes to choose from. :-)
Kinda sad that they almost hit endangered levels during the Monterrey, Mexico freezing temperatures which it was a very harsh hit for everyone. I think it was in 2017 or 2018. It made me sad and thankfully many people are getting milkweed plants
Is the timing and title "Monarch" somehow an homage to the queen's recent passing?
Everyone should share this this is so sad
I'm more interested in how protozoans like the parasite form spores, can you do a video on it?
Love Monarchs, hopefully next summer I can plant a healthy patch of native milkweed
Yikes. I planted the tropical in my yard in the spring, and two of our monarchs we had in a habitat had deformed wings. Guess I should go take it out of the ground!
Always love a scary invisible parasite story.
I’ve seen quite a lot of Monarch Butterflies around here in Richmond lately.
Dang; time to grab my clippers…
parasite is always in different game
I've been growing common milkweed/selling the seeds for a few years now. I just learned something new about the "tropical" milkweed from this video.......I'm torn....The tropical milkweed is pretty AND still helps other pollinators....Soooo....what do I do?
I found out about these parasites the hard way, my encloser had the the chrysali above the caterpillars and had a full batch of wrinkled wing butterflies...
See, as I found out, when they emerge is when the parasites fall off the wings in droves, these parasites are actually reletively "normal" just like we have various fauna on our skin, that if out of control, could hurt us as well.
But because my caterpillars, and more importantly, their food supply was getting dusted regularly it caused a build up way out of control.
I wonder if this why many suggest disinfecting enclosures between each batch of caterpillars. I haven't done that, but did have more issues this year in the past with with wrinkled wings, one butterfly that emerged as goo, and one that only partially emerged. We also do plant tropical in our yard (Michigan) along with several native, but the tropical never grows back because of freeze/frost and subzero temps. We always start with new tropical plants from seeds we cultivate ourselves .
@@clayka012 sounds plausable, also part of why I decided to stop using my old enclosure, made it when I was a kid and its made of wood and metal screen, can be cleaned, but kind of a hassel. I should probably fully redesign it some time, was pretty proud of itnin my teens.
I just ordered some milkweed seeds, but before clicking on the first one I saw, I checked a few websites about the milkweed native to my area just in case the popular ones were a problem.
Sad to hear with as much problems they are already having right now
This is incredible. Our touch is felt across the natural world. Sometimes it's soft but most of the time it's like a hammer. When will we learn?? My take is...never.
Can we do one on Scale that live on plants?
Where do I find the right milkweed seeds?
oh my god the party music lol
this is very interesting, I didn't know butterflies had bacterial parasites They release spores like fungi that fascinates me
I'm a simple person
i see Deep Look upload, i click
For the sake of the species of butterfly, Perhaps that tropical milkweed should be outlawed. Stop merchant from selling them...
I just bought a tropical milkweed last week. Ugh.
Do you have a video covering the dark side of butterflies? (If you know, you know)
We don't, exactly, but butterflies (and caterpillars!) can be really strange. Here's our playlist! ruclips.net/video/LYxTyMF9k_4/видео.html
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This just made me sad :(
I feel like I'm missing a lot of info still after watching this. How do these infections start in the first place? There's no like larger parasite that can go around infecting stuff so.. where did it come from?
And when the milkweed dies does that make all the old oe die also i guess obviously?
Always plant native stuff, help a wild neighbor!
What's wrong with... well.. everything?
Me: humans.
even they are endangered now
When I was in community college, we had a garden full of milkweed and there were a lot of monarch caterpillars that, unfortunately, did not make it to adulthood.
I got the wrong milkweed! Time to find the right one.
thats very sad
Vid idea:"how does a mantis hiss?"
The caterpillar goes to work munching on an empty shell of its old egg 1:24 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 her voice just changes out of no where 😒🤣🤣😅🤣😅🤣😅😅🤣😒🤣😒🤣😒🤣😒🤣😒🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣