The Vine. Franklin County Master Gardeners. The Tachinid Fly: Enemy of the Monarch Joyce Oberle, Franklin County Master Gardener

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1 Franklin County Master Gardeners The Vine Vol. 15, Issue 3, Sept 2017 The Tachinid Fly: Enemy of the Monarch Joyce Oberle, Franklin County Master Gardener During the past few years, it has been heartening to see how many people have become so concerned and interested in the monarch butterfly. So, I would like to tell you about one of these. Since I have not asked her about using her real name, I will call her Mary. My phone rang, and on the other end was a quiet, unassuming woman. Is this Joyce? she asked hesitatingly. Yes, it is, I replied, not recognizing her voice. I called the Extension Center with a question about monarchs, and they referred me to you. Well, let s see if I can help, I replied, anxious to hear what her problem was. Some of my chrysalis have this string coming from them and there is a brown thing attached to it. I briefly explained what she was experiencing was a Tachinid Fly infestation. Namely, it is a parasitoid that feeds on and kills monarch caterpillars. The fly lays her eggs on the caterpillar, and the larvae feed on the caterpillar, but usually don t kill their host until just before the caterpillars pupate. When a parasitized caterpillar hangs upside down in the pre-pupal J -shape, several Tachinid Fly larvae will come out of the caterpillar. They drop to the ground on long, gel-like threads. I reassured her and told her not to be dismayed because anyone who raises monarchs has an occasional infestation. Over the next several weeks she called with additional questions, and I was always happy to answer them. I was even able to raise some of her chrysalis while she and her husband went on vacation. Well, the summer is coming to a close, and a new group of monarchs soon will fly to Mexico. The cycle continues. This summer I had the pleasure of meeting many people who have become avid monarch enthusiasts, some growing milkweed and raising monarchs or both. Yes, we do have a long way to go, but with caring and concerned people we will be able to help this beautiful, iconic creature. Well, the females have been flying around my milkweed plants so I shall soon have some little cats to take care of. Yes, it is a lot of work keeping those hungry critters fed, but truly it is a labor of love. Photo: A tachinid fly maggot emerges from a monarch caterpillar and slides down a white mucus string Advanced Training at Forrest Sharon Jenicek, Franklin County Master Gardener Thanks to the efforts of Yvette Luedde, several Master Gardeners who are seeking Advanced Training were able to attend a Field Day at Forrest Keeling Nursery in Elsberry, MO, Thursday, September 14. They learned a tremendous amount about soil from the key note speaker, microbiologist Dr. Andrew Neal from Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, U.K. He pointed out that vibrant soil is the result of the right soil components coming together including the right bacteria, mycorrhizae and microbes. Also, healthy soil helps grow more vigorous plants which in turn build and support a better soil. This nursery is an industry leader in sustainable practices that increase production efficiency, help eliminate harmful pests and reduce chemical use. They are highly acclaimed in the industry. Tours of their various orchards were provided where nursery personnel shared their best practices. The Master Gardeners also learned from seasoned landscape designers how to best utilize native plants in landscapes. The Q&A periods revealed a wealth of information among attendees and there were many opportunities for networking. It was a very worthwhile experience for all who attended. University of Missouri Extension in Franklin County 116 W Main, Union MO

2 Creating a Monarch Habitat in Missouri Zones 5 & 6 Karen Leslie, Franklin County Master Gardener The monarch butterfly is the most recognized and iconic butterfly in North America and completes it annual migration from Mexico to Canada. The Monarch population is on a steady decline, down 90% over the last ten years. The lack of milkweed and native plants are a very real problem. Changes in pesticide use, and changes in land use such as development Midwestern communities are threats to monarch habitat. It is very important to create habitats so the monarchs have a better chance of survival and are healthy enough to make the migration. Selection of Milkweed Plants For your Habitat Milkweed is the host plant for the monarch butterfly. As the monarch larva consumes the milkweed leaves, it also retains the cardiac glycosides making the monarch toxic to predators. 2

3 Monarch Habitat..... (continued from page 2) Selection of Nectar Plants for the Monarch Habitat Black eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta Purple Coneflower Echinacea purpurea New England Aster Aster novae-angliae Showy Goldenrod Solidago speciosa Rattlesnake Master Eryngium yuccifoluim Joe Pye Weed Eupatorium purpureum Scarlet Bee Balm Mondarda didya Moonbeam Coreopsis Coreopsis verticillata Blue False Indigo Baptisa australis Rose Verbena Glandularia candensis Culvers Root Veronicastrum vierginicum Rough Blazing Star Liatris aspera Smooth Blue Aster Symphyotrichum Laeve Moonshine Yarrow Baptisa australis Eastern Blazing Star Liatris scariosa Compass Plant Silphium integrifolium Obedient Plant Physostegia virginiana Cardinal Flower Lobelia cardinalis Blue Lobelia Lobelia siphilitica Wild Bergamot Monarda fistulosa 3

4 Monarch Habitat..... (continued from page 3) Asclepias syriaca Common Milkweed Asclepias incarnata Swamp Milkweed Asclepias tuberosa Butterfly Weed Echinacea Pallida Purple Coneflower Rudbeckia hirta Black-eyed Susan Liatris aspera Rough Blazing Star Solidago speciose Showy Goldenrod Symphyotrichum oolentangiense Sky Blue Aser Coreopsis ianceolate Coreopsis Baptisia australis Wild Blue Indigo Sedum spectabile Sedum Miscanthus sinensis Maiden Grass Buddleia Ruby Butterfly Bush Saving Garden Seeds David Trinklein, Associate Professor MU Plant Sciences As the growing season progresses many gardeners consider whether or not they should save seed from this year s garden to plant next year. There is no doubt that seeds of flowers and vegetables are becoming more expensive. For example, if offered an ounce of gold or an ounce of fibrous-rooted begonia seeds choose the latter (given you have a way of marketing them). A recent check of a popular seed company s internet site put the value of begonia seed at $43,000 per ounce at the listed price per packet of 150 seeds. Of course the caveat here is that there are two million begonia seeds per ounce making the cost of an individual seed more palatable. While thriftiness is considered a virtue by most, saving seed might not be the money-saving venture it would appear to be. A majority of the ornamental and vegetable plants we grow in our gardens today are F 1 hybrids. They tend to be more vigorous, uniform and productive than their nonhybrid counterparts. F 1 hybrids exploit a phenomenon known as Aheterosis@ or hybrid vigor which occurs when two carefully selected parental lines are crossed to form a hybrid offspring. Heterosis, however, does not carry over from one generation to the next but must be fixed each generation by remaking the original cross. Therefore seed saved from a hybrid variety will not produce a plant with the same characteristics as the plant that bore it. Progeny of F 1 hybrids tend to revert back in form to one of their parents. Genetically, this phenomenon is known as Asegregation@ and is a manifestation of one of the Laws of Heredity established by Mendel over 150 years ago. The wisdom of saving seed from openpollinated (non-hybrid) ornamentals and vegetables depends on a number of factors. Species that naturally are cross-pollinated (e.g. watermelon) derive their pollen from a male parent of the same species of unknown identity. Seed saved from an 4

5 Saving Garden Seeds..... (continued from page 4) open-pollinated variety of watermelon such as Sugar Baby will be true to type only if there were no other varieties of watermelon in the immediate area that might have served as a source of pollen. The safe isolation distance for seed collection for species pollinated by honey bees is consider to be one-half mile. For species cross pollinated by wind the safe distance depends on species and local conditions (e.g. topography and vegetation density). Self-pollinated, non-hybrid species represent the best candidates for saving seed from the garden. Perhaps no better example exists than heirloom tomatoes but certain precautions still must be followed. Since tomatoes are self-pollinated, saving seed from heirloom varieties will result in seeds of the same variety as long as accidental crosspollination has not occurred. Insects such as the bumble bee and (occasionally) wind can cause cross pollination. Therefore to assure genetic purity producers of heirloom tomato seeds isolate varieties to prevent accidental cross pollination. The same must be done by the home gardener to assure genetic purity. If the decision has been made to save garden Christmas Tree Committee Georgianne McClanahan, Franklin County Master Gardener seed then it should be collected from healthy plants. There are several virus diseases that are known to be transmitted through seeds. Clean the seed and try to sort out any that appear to be nonviable. The latter are usually smaller in size and lighter in weight. Cleaned seed should be stored in a cool, dry location. A jar with a tight-fitting lid containing a small amount of silica gel makes a good storage container. Label the jar and place it in a refrigerator or other cool location. Congratulations to Colleen Simons who won first place for the largest dahlia entry, Emory Paul, at the Greater St. Louis Dahlia Society this summer. Way to go Colleen! Colleen Simmons and I are on the Christmas tree decorating committee for our entry in the annual event sponsored by the St. Peters United Church of Christ in Washington and benefitting local food banks. Our theme this year is bees (polinators). We would greatly appreciate dried materials such as autumn sedum heads, sumac, nandina berry clusters, grass plumes and sunflowers of all sizes. Just tie the stems and hang upside down to dry. Our color scheme is soft gold, copper, browns and tans. If you have any decorative material in these colors we'd love to hear from you. We need garland, ornaments, sparkle mesh, tulle. We also need a bee skep for the top. Two work days are scheduled to make ornaments for the tree: Oct. 24 and 30 at 10 a.m. at the home of Georgianne McClanahan. Georgianne s address is 1786 North Bend Road, Union, and her phone is If you can help, please join us. Last year our beautiful tree was decorated by Marty & Marsha Riggs, Coleen Simons, Georgianne McClanahan, Judy Morrow and Karen Leslie. 5

6 The Missouri Invasive Plant Task Force (MoIP) In 2015, Grow Native! spear headed this multiagency, multi-industry networking and advocacy group to bolster statewide efforts to identify and control the invasive plant species that severely impact native biodiversity. Representatives from the fields of conservation, agriculture, botanical science, ecological services, plant production, horticulture, landscape services and design, and arboriculture make up the task force. The task force is housed and administered by Grow Native!, a native plant education and marketing program of the Missouri Prairie Foundation. The purpose of the task force working as a united, supportive front is to review, discuss, and recommend educational and regulatory action related to managing known and potential non--native invasive plant species that negatively impact natural communities and built landscapes in Missouri and elsewhere in the lower Midwest. The vision is to ultimately transition this Task Force to a permanent Missouri Invasive Exotic Plant Species Council. Although the MoIP principally targets invasive plant species, a broader definition of the term invasive includes fungus and animal species that are not native to a specific location and have a tendency to spread to a degree believed to cause damage to the environment, human economy or health. Why should we, as Master Gardeners, care about invasive species. Landscape plants that seed freely, like privet, can cause extra work for gardeners. Seedlings must be weeded out before they take over and displace plants which have been painstakingly planted in your garden. Plants such as wisteria can spread quickly from your garden onto other people's property, decreasing both the enjoyment of their property and their enjoyment of you as a neighbor. Even plants which seem manageable in your garden may be spreading seeds into natural areas. The fruits on many plants, such as nandina (bamboo) and coral ardisia are eaten and spread by birds, causing infestations many miles away. Japanese beetles, an invasive insect species, have a total host range of more than 400 plant species. Some of these hosts include roses, crepe myrtles and Japanese maples. While grubs are considered the number one pest of turf and lawns. Japanese beetle infestations can greatly reduce the ability for your garden plants to grow and flourish. Gardeners in the United States spend an average of $460 million a year to control Japanese beetles in their gardens. There are also many invasive species you cannot see that affect your garden. Many invasive pathogens, such as dogwood anthracnose, oak wilt, mimosa wilt and Dutch elm disease can make plants unsightly and potentially kill them. Americans spend $2 billion each year controlling unwanted plant pathogens in lawns, gardens and golf courses. Things to know about invasive species: Invasive species, if left uncontrolled, can and will limit land use now and into the future. The longer we ignore the problem the harder and more expensive the battle for control will become. Invasive species can decrease your ability to enjoy hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, boating and other outdoor recreational activities. The United States suffers from $ billion per year in economic losses due to exotic, invasive species Approximately 42% of Threatened or Endangered species are at risk due to non-native, invasive species.1 What can gardeners do to help prevent the spread of invasive species? Go native! There are a wide variety of beautiful, easy to care for native plants available. Look for an alternative plant list for your state/region. The butterflies and other pollinators will love it! Never use invasive species in your landscaping. Remove invasive plants from your garden. Until you are able to rid your garden of invasive plants, be responsible and remember to remove and destroy seed heads before they can be spread. Also, never propagate invasives or share cuttings from invasives with other gardeners. Talk to other gardeners about invasives and how you plan to help in the fight against them. If you are worried that your garden will lose its luster after removing invasives, talk to your local native plant society or exotic pest plant council. These organizations will be able to suggest suitable native replacements. Before choosing a native plant alternative, first think about the characteristics of the invasive plant you are replacing. For example, if you like the showy fruits of autumn olive, try replacing it with American bittersweet. If you like Japanese wisteria for its vining habit and fragrant flowers, consider replacing it with American wisteria. If you like purple loosestrife for its vibrant magenta flowers, plant fireweed or purple coneflower instead. 25 Invasive Plants in Missouri: Autumn Olive, Bush Honeysuckles, Callery Pear, Canada Thistle, Chinese Yam, Common Buckthorn, Common Reed, Crown Vetch, Common and Cut-Leaved Tease,l Garlic Mustard, Hydrilla Japanese Honeysuckle, Japanese Hop, Japanese Knotweed, Japanese Stiltgrass, Johnson Grass, Kudzu, Leafy Spurge, Multiflora Rose, Musk Thistle, Old World Bluestem, Purple Loosestrife, Reed Canary Grass, Sericea Lespedeza, Spotted Knapweed, White and Yellow Sweet Clover, Wintercreeper For more information go to moinvasives.org. 6