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Monarchs have a growing parasite problem, and it's not from natural causes

By University of Georgia research scientist and monarch blogger Dr. Andy Davis 

Monarch butterflies, Danaus plexippus, along with their relatives, like the queen (Danaus gilippus) and other Danaids, are sometimes infected with a naturally-occurring protozoan (meaning single-celled) parasite called Ophryocystis elektroscirrha, or simply OE for short. This parasite has been found in all monarch populations around the world, at varying levels, and, it has been around for probably as long as the monarch has - for thousands of years, probably. We think it co-evolved with the monarchs and their relatives, because the parasite appears to be perfectly adapted to living on these butterflies. We don't think it lives anywhere else, just on these butterflies. For the longest time, we thought that this parasite was ONLY found in Danaid butterflies, but this actually turned out not to be true.

Click here to continue reading about OE and monarchs.

Merlin ID

The Best Birding App, Powered By You

Merlin features the best of community contributed photos, songs, and calls, tips from experts around the world to help you ID the birds you see, and range maps from Birds of the World—all powered by billions of bird observations submitted to eBird.

Have you ever heard a bird song and wondered who’s singing? Well wonder no more! Whether it’s the bird you hear every day or a song you’ve never heard before, our Merlin Bird ID app can help you identify who’s singing. Just pull out your smartphone, press record, and watch as Merlin shows matches in real time.

Download Merlin Bird ID

Merlin can help you identify the songs and calls of 450+ species in the United States and Canada (with more species and regions coming soon). With a couple of taps you’ll unlock a whole new world of bird songs. Merlin’s newest feature is sure to improve your birding skills and give you a new superpower—identifying birds by ear. Every species you identify with the new Sound ID feature can also be saved to your life list, and you’ll be able to share the recordings you make with friends and family.

Identify Bird Songs and Calls

Sound ID listens to the birds around you and shows real-time suggestions for who’s singing. Compare your recording to the songs and calls in Merlin to confirm what you heard. Available for birds in the US and Canada. More species and regions coming soon.

More About Sound ID

Merlin’s new feature was made possible by thousands of citizen scientists who contributed recordings to the Macaulay Library and shared their bird sightings with eBird and we are so grateful. Enjoy the sounds of Spring!