Monarch population rapidly declining due to lack of host plant [Video]

Spring is in the air and soon, beautiful monarch butterflies will be, too. But this year we may see less than before.According to Shiloh Museum master gardener Marty Powers, this is because of the decreasing number of milkweed plants. The milkweed plant is the only plant monarch butterflies can lay their eggs on and that caterpillars can eat.“If you lose your resource that you’re a specialist on, you can’t just go and eat an apple tree or eat on a sunflower or something like that. They require that milkweed,” said Dr. Austin Jones, an entomology professor at U of A.The number of milkweed plants is declining due to their toxicity to other animals.“It produces a latex sap that is toxic to other animals. It won’t kill them. But if a bird eats monarch caterpillars, it’ll get a pretty bad stomachache and won’t do it again,” Powers said.Another reason the numbers …