Page 20 - Free State Spring 2023_WEB

CULTIVATING COMMUNICATION A Wendy Brister

Many butterflies and moths in the Mid-Atlantic region are
specialists. The monarch butterfly is the poster child for
this. This means that the larva (caterpillar) of the butterfly The great thing about all these
or moth, in this case, the monarch, can only eat one specialist insects – whether
species of plant – Asclepias (milkweed). The relationship
between the host plant and the butterfly/moth is like a butterfly, moth, or bee – if you
well-rehearsed play – the adult lays its egg on the host
plant, the egg hatches, and the larva has the food it plant it, they usually come! Now I
requires for survival right there! If the monarch butterfly won’t lie to you – identifying some
laid an egg on an aster, the larva would be unable to eat
it and would most likely die by the time it crawled around of the bees can be a bit challenging.
to find a milkweed plant.

Roughly 25% of the native bees in the Mid-Atlantic are
specialists as well. While the general principle is the same, in several related genera of plants, while others are a bit
bees are not after the foliage but rather foraging for the more particular and favor a single species only.
pollen from their host plant(s). This pollen is collected and Take the hostile leafcutter bee (Megachile inimica). This
taken back to the nest so that when the eggs hatch, bee leaf-cutter bee favors yellow composites, like coreopsis,
larvae have the proper nutrition. Some bees specialize helianthus (sunflowers), rudbeckia, silphium (cup plant),

Solidago speciosa
Photo: Wendy Brister, Cavanos Perennials

20 SPRING 2023 • Free State News