Houston Monarch Story Questions & Answers
What is a pollinator?
A pollinator is an animal, usually an insect, that visits flowers and helps in the transfer of pollen. As they visit the flowers, pollen sticks to their body, which they then transfer to the next flower they visit. This process is called fertilization and is essential to produce most of the crops for our human food supply.
驴Qu茅 es un Polinizador?
Un polinizador es un animal, normalmente un insecto, que visita las flores y ayuda en la transferencia de polen. Cuando visitan las flores, el polen se pega a su cuerpo, que luego transfieren a la siguiente flor que visitan. Este proceso se denomina fecundaci贸n y es esencial para producir la mayor铆a de los cultivos destinados a la alimentaci贸n humana.
What is the role of the Coastal Prairie ecosystem?
In addition to the instantly recognizable benefits to plant biodiversity and wildlife 鈥� including pollinators like the Monarch butterfly 鈥� a healthy coastal prairie ecosystem benefits people too! Coastal prairies positively affect our everyday lives in the following ways:
- Reduced Flooding Risks in Urban Watersheds - Deeper-rooted coastal prairie grasses open conduits allowing greater water infiltration into the soil, which slows the overland water flow into streams during storms.
- Erosion Control - Native coastal prairie grasses provide superior erosion control compared to shallow-rooted non-native turf grasses.
- Carbon Sinks - Coastal prairies absorb carbon dioxide during photosynthesis and store converted carbon in the root systems and in the soil as soil organic carbon.
- Survival in Challenging Environmental Conditions - Prairie plants are better adapted to survive challenging periodic drought, fire, and flood. Ecosystem advantages of flood protection, erosion control, carbon sink, and pollinator and wildlife benefits remain intact.
PLUS - Preserved and restored prairies can provide appropriate seed for future restorations, expanding the ecosystem.
Learn More about the Benefits of Coastal Prairies
See Videos of the UH Coastal Center
驴Cu谩l es el papel del ecosistema de las Praderas Costeras?
Una pradera costera favorece la salud de poblaciones silvestres como aves migratorias, peque帽os mam铆feros e insectos. Las hierbas de las praderas costeras, de ra铆ces profundas, absorben la lluvia, lo que ayuda a reducir las inundaciones.
How does the milkweed plant protect the Monarch?
Monarchs are not harmful to humans, but the milky sap of the milkweed plant they feed on can be toxic if ingested, and if it comes in contact with the eyes, it can cause a chemical burn. This sap contains toxic steroids called cardenolides. Predators have learned to avoid Monarch butterflies, which are toxic and bitter tasting. Because of this, the similarly colored Viceroy butterfly is also avoided.
驴C贸mo protege el algodoncillo a la Monarca?
Las Monarcas no son da帽inas para el ser humano, pero la savia lechosa de la planta algodoncillo de la que se alimentan puede ser t贸xica si se ingiere, y si entra en contacto con los ojos, puede provocar una quemadura qu铆mica. Esta savia contiene unos esteroides t贸xicos llamados carden贸lidos. Los depredadores han aprendido a evitar a las mariposas Monarca, que son t贸xicas y tienen un sabor amargo. Por ello, tambi茅n evitan a la mariposa Viceroy, de color similar.
Is the Monarch butterfly a male or female?
The male Monarch butterfly can be easily identified by the black oval on the lower wing, located in the middle of the black vein on one of the veins close to the body. Females have thicker black veining on their wings. Artist Michelle Matthews created both male and female sculptures. Can you tell which ones are male and which ones are female?
驴La mariposa Monarca es macho o hembra?
El macho de la mariposa Monarca puede identificarse f谩cilmente por el 贸valo negro de la parte inferior del ala, situado en el centro del veteado negro de una de las venas cercanas al cuerpo. Las hembras tienen vetas negras m谩s gruesas en las alas.
How does the Monarch butterfly taste and see?
Monarchs have taste buds on their legs. Before laying her eggs, a female drums her feet on a leaf to check if it鈥檚 a native milkweed, the sole plant the Monarch caterpillars eat. Monarch butterflies smell through their antennae 鈥� 5,000 times more sensitive than the human nose! The Monarch possesses compound eyes composed of thousands of lenses, enabling them to see ultraviolet light and from multiple directions.
驴C贸mo saborea y c贸mo ve la mariposa Monarca?
Las Monarca tienen papilas gustativas en las patas. Antes de poner sus huevos, la hembra tamborilea con sus patas sobre una hoja para comprobar si es un algodoncillo nativo, la 煤nica planta que comen las orugas Monarca. Las mariposas Monarca huelen a trav茅s de sus antenas, 隆5,000 veces m谩s sensibles que la nariz humana! La Monarca posee ojos compuestos formados por miles de lentes, que le permiten ver la luz ultravioleta y desde m煤ltiples direcciones.
Do Monarch butterflies dance?
Male Monarch butterflies perform a dance to attract females. They flutter around in a circular pattern; if a female is interested, she may join in. When searching for milkweed to lay her eggs on, the female butterflies can be seen fluttering up and down over the plants as they fly.
驴Las mariposas Monarca bailan?
Los machos de la mariposa Monarca bailan para atraer a las hembras. Revolotean en c铆rculos y, si una hembra est谩 interesada, puede unirse a ellos. Cuando buscan algodoncillo para poner sus huevos, las hembras revolotean sobre las plantas mientras vuelan.
Do the Monarch鈥檚 white dots affect flight?
According to scientists, white spots on the edge of a Monarch鈥檚 wings appear to impact lift and drag aerodynamically. The larger and brighter the white spots, the more advantage a Monarch has in making its long trek to the Mexican mountains.
驴Afectan al vuelo los puntos blancos de la Monarca?
Seg煤n los cient铆ficos, las manchas blancas en el borde de las alas de la Monarca parecen influir en la sustentaci贸n y la resistencia aerodin谩micas. Cuanto m谩s grandes y brillantes sean las manchas blancas, m谩s ventaja tendr谩 la Monarca en su largo viaje a las monta帽as Mexicanas.
What triggers Monarch butterfly migration?
As autumn arrives, the Monarch butterfly prepares to journey to Mexico, where it will spend the winter months. The cooler temperatures signal the end of the season for milkweed and nectar plants, which will soon go dormant. Factors related to global warming will affect future migration. They may affect the timing, location, and other aspects of migration.
驴Qu茅 dispara la migraci贸n de la mariposa Monarca?
Con la llegada del oto帽o, la mariposa Monarca se prepara para viajar a M茅xico, donde pasar谩 los meses de invierno. Las temperaturas m谩s fr铆as se帽alan el final de la temporada para el algodoncillo y las plantas de n茅ctar, que pronto entrar谩n en letargo. Los factores relacionados con el calentamiento global afectar谩n a la migraci贸n futura. Ellos pueden afectar al tiempo, la ubicaci贸n y otros aspectos de la migraci贸n.
How does the Monarch butterfly navigate?
Monarchs possess a time-compensated sun compass in their brains that employs information from their antennae and eyes. There is a known magnetic aspect to navigation, but no scientific consensus yet.
驴C贸mo navega la mariposa Monarca?
Las Monarca poseen en el cerebro una br煤jula solar compensada en el tiempo que emplea informaci贸n procedente de sus antenas y ojos. Se sabe que existe un aspecto magn茅tico en la navegaci贸n, pero a煤n no hay consenso cient铆fico.
How can I help the Monarch butterfly population?
As humans, we have destroyed a significant portion of the Monarch butterflies鈥� natural habitat by constructing our homes, streets, and other structures. However, we can take measures to replace some of the lost habitat. One way is by planting native milkweed, which is crucial as food for their caterpillars. Additionally, planting nectar plants in the early spring and fall can help all pollinators survive and thrive.
驴C贸mo puedo ayudar a la poblaci贸n de mariposas Monarca?
Como seres humanos, hemos destruido una parte importante del habitat natural de las mariposas Monarca al construir nuestras casas, calles y otras estructuras. Sin embargo, podemos tomar medidas para sustituir parte del h谩bitat perdido. Una forma es plantar algodoncillo aut贸ctono, que es crucial como alimento para sus orugas. Adem谩s, plantar plantas nectar铆feras a principios de primavera y en oto帽o puede ayudar a todos los polinizadores a sobrevivir y prosperar.