On the dangers of interpopulational transfers of monarch butterflies

Publication Type:

Journal Article

Authors:

Brower, Lincoln P.; Fink, Linda S.; Brower, Andrew Van Zandt; Leong, Kingston; Oberhauser, Karen; Altizer, Sonia; Taylor, Orley; Vickerman, Danel; Calvert, William H.; Van Hook, Tonya; Alonso-Mejia, Alfonso; Malcolm, Stephen B.; Owen, Denis F.; Zalucki, Myron P.

Source:

BioScience, American Institute of Biological Sciences and the University of California Press, Volume 45, Issue 8, p.540-544 (1995)

Call Number:

A95BRO02IDUS

URL:

http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1083&context=bio_fac

Keywords:

Danaus plexippus, monarch butterfly

Abstract:

This piece from the Roundtable section offers three arguments against transferring monarch butterflies between distinct populations: Transferred butterflies can carry infectious and potentially lethal diseases into susceptible populations; transfers may confuse our understanding of numerous aspects of the monarch’s basic biology; and the hypotheses purportedly being tested with these transfers are unanswerable by this technique. The authors ultimately recommend against transfer and release of monarch butterflies in any life-history stages between populations that are naturally separated from each other and definitely against transfers across the Rocky Mountains.

Notes:

ELECTRONIC FILE - Zoology

Generic citation: Lincoln P. Brower, Linda S. Fink, Andrew Van Zandt Brower, Kingston Leong, Karen Oberhauser, Sonia Altizer, Orley Taylor, Daniel Vickerman, William H. Calvert, Tonya Van Hook, Alfonso Alonso-Mejia, Stephen B. Malcolm, Denis F. Owen, and Myron P. Zalucki. 1995. On the dangers of interpopulational transfers of monarch butterflies" BioScience 45(8): 540-544.
Available at: http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1083&conte....