This summer, our monarch interns are helping with an additional project related to prairie butterflies. We are sampling flowers in prairie remnants and reconstructions to determine their floral microbial communities. Research suggests the microbial community could 1) impact butterfly behavior and health and 2) differ between remnant and reconstructed prairies, so we are trying to understand the community dynamics and how that might relate to butterfly conservation.
Fig. 1: Prairie remnant on the hillside with the prairie reconstruction in the lower area. The previous agricultural land use can impact soil microbes that are then taken up by plants and visiting pollinators. Photo by KK.
While out sampling, the monarch interns work with Danielle Rutkowski, a postdoctoral scholar, (Amber Crowley-Gall Lab) to collect flowers and florets from our four focal flower groups: milkweeds, blazing stars, wild bergamot, and goldenrods. We are starting with these flowers because they are often visited by butterflies and bees and are also common enough to be found in most prairies.
Fig. 2: Monarch intern, Emma, collects florets from butterflyweed in a local prairie remnant with Danielle. Photo by KK.
Sampling for floral microbes in between monarch survey rounds has allowed us to explore different landscapes and find a wide diversity of butterflies besides monarchs. We observed viceroys—the monarch mimic—and regal fritillaries—a federally threatened butterfly in Iowa.
Fig. 3: Viceroy on rattlesnake master in a prairie reconstruction. Photo by KK.
Fig. 4: Regal fritillary butterfly on wild bergamot in a prairie remnant. Photo by KK.
In addition to local remnants and reconstructed prairies, we are sampling flowers from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources seed plots at the Prairie Resource Center. Their seed plots produce the locally-sourced native seeds used for prairie reconstructions on public lands in Iowa. While at the Prairie Resource Center, we were treated to a rusty-patched bumble bee sighting, a federally endangered bee found in Iowa!
Fig. 5: Rusty-patched bumble bee on Culver’s root at the IA DNR seed plots. Photo by KK.
Katherine Kral-O'Brien