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Publications

MLMP Findings

We are constantly analyzing the numbers of monarchs found by MLMP volunteers every year, looking for changes and trends in population numbers. We’ve also shared a lot of MLMP data with the scientific community in several publications. Here are summaries of a few of these publications; you can link to the full publication of most papers.

  1. Klinger, K.R., Hasle, A.F., Oberhauser, K.S. (2024) Characteristics of Urban Milkweed Gardens that Influence Monarch Butterfly Egg Abundance. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 12, DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2024.1444460
  2. Oberhauser K.S., Elmquist D., Perilla-Lopez J.M., Gebhard I., Lukens L., and Stireman J. (2017) Tachinid Fly (Diptera: Tachinidae) Parasitoids of Danaus plexippus (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 110(6), pp. 536–543, DOI: 10.1093/aesa/sax048
  3. Kasten K., Stenoien C., Caldwell W., Oberhauser K.S. Can roadside habitat lead monarchs on a route to recovery? Journal of Insect Conservation. 2016:1-1.
  4. Lewandowski, E.J. & Oberhauser, K.S. 2016a. Butterfly Citizen Science Projects Support Conservation Activities among their Volunteers. Citizen Science: Theory and Practice, 1(1): 6, pp. 1–8, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5334/cstp...
  5. Lewandowski, E.J. & Oberhauser, K.S. 2016b. Contributions of citizen scientists and habitat volunteers to monarch butterfly conservation. Human Dimensions of Wildlife. DOI: 10.1080/10871209.2017.1250293.
  6. McCoshum, S., Andreoli, S., Stenoien, C., Oberhauser, K., Baum, K. (2016) Species distribution models for natural enemies of monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) larvae and pupae: distribution patterns and implications for conservation. Journal of Insect Conservation. DOI: 10.1007/s10841-016-9856-z
  7. Semmens, B. X., D. J. Semmens, W. E. Thogmartin, R. Wiederholt, L. Lopez-Hoffman, J. E. Diffendorfer, J. M. Pleasants, K. S. Oberhauser, and Taylor O. R. (2016) Quasi-extinction risk and population targets for the Eastern, migratory population of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus). Scientific Reports 6: 23265.
  8. Stenoien, C., Nail, K. R., Zalucki, J. M., Parry, H., Oberhauser, K. S. and Zalucki, M. P. (2016) Monarchs in decline: A collateral landscape level effect of modern agriculture. Insect Science. Accepted Author Manuscript. doi:10.1111/1744-7917.12404
  9. Anda, A., Oberhauser, K.S. (2015) Invertebrate Natural Enemies and Stage-Specific Mortality Rates of Monarch Eggs and Larvae. Monarchs in a Changing World: Biology and Conservation of an Iconic Insect. 5: 60-70.
  10. Nail, K.R., Batalden, R.V., Oberhauser, K.S. (2015) What's Too Hot and What's Too Cold: Lethal and Sublethal Effects of Extreme Temperatures on Developing Monarchs. Monarchs in a Changing World: Biology and Conservation of an Iconic Butterfly. 8: 99-108.
  11. Nail, K.R., Stenoien, C., Oberhauser, K.S. (2015) Immature Monarch Survival: Effects of Site Characteristics, Density, and Time. Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 108 (5) 650-690; DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aesa...
  12. Oberhauser, K.S., Anderson, M., Anderson, S., Caldwell, W., Anda, A., Hunter, M., Kaiser, M.C., Solensky, M.J. (2015) Lacewings, Wasps, and Flies-Oh My: Insect Enemies Take a Bite out of Monarchs. Monarchs in a Changing World: Biology and Conservation of an Insect Icon. 6: 71-82.
  13. Oberhauser, K.S., Ries, L., Altizer, S., Batalden, R.V., Kudell-Ekstrum, J., Garland, M., Howard, E., Jepsen, S., Lovett, J., Monroe, M., Morris, G., Rendon-Salinas, E., RuBino, R.G., Ryan, A., Taylor, O.R., Trevino, R., Villablanca, F.X., Walton, D. Contributions to Monarch Biology and Conservation through Citizen Science. Monarchs in a Changing World: Biology and Conservation of an Iconic Butterfly. 2: 13-30.
  14. Stenoien, C., Nail, K.R., Oberhauser, K.S. (2015a) Habitat Productivity and Temporal Patterns of Monarch Butterfly Egg Densities in the Eastern United States. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, 108 (5) 670-679; DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/aesa...
  15. Stenoien, C. M., S. McCoshum, W. Caldwell, A. D. Anda, and Oberhauser, K.S. (2015b) New reports that monarch butterflies (Lepdiotera: Nymphalidae, Danaus plexippus Linnaeus) serve as hosts for a pupal parasitoid (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidae, Pteromalus cassotis Walker) in the Eastern United States. J. Kans. Entomol. Soc. 88: 16–26.
  16. Ries, L., Oberhauser, K.S. (2015) A citizen-army for science: Quantifying the contributions of citizen scientists to our understanding of monarch butterfly biology. Bioscience 65: 419–420; DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biv011
  17. Young Isebrand, E., Oberhauser, K.S., Bailey, K.,Charest, S., Hayes, B., Howard, E., Lovett, J., Meyers, S., Mollenhauer, E., Montesinos-Patino, E., Ryan, A., Taylor, O.R., Trevino, R. (2015) Environmental Education and Monarchs: Reaching across Disciplines, Generations, and Nations. Monarchs in Changing World: Biology and Conservation of an Iconic Butterfly. 1: 5-13.
  18. Oberhauser, KS. 2012. Tachinid flies and monarch butterflies: Citizen Scientists document parasitism patterns over broad spatial and temporal scales. American Entomologist 58:19-22.
  19. Pleasants, J, KS Oberhauser. 2012. Milkweed loss in agricultural fields because of herbicide use: Effect on the monarch butterfly population. Insect Conservation and Diversity. DOI:10.1111/j.1752-4598.2012.00196.x
  20. Lindsey E, Mehta M, Dhulipala V, Oberhauser K, Altizer S (2009) Crowding and disease: effects of host density on response to infection in a butterfly-parasite interaction. Ecological Entomology 34: 551–561. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2311.2009.01107.x
  21. Kountoupes, D., and K. S. Oberhauser. 2008. Citizen science and youth audiences: Educational outcomes of the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project. Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship. 1:10-20.
  22. Oberhauser, K. S. and M. D. Prysby. 2008. Citizen Science: Creating a Research Army for Conservation. American Entomologist 54:97-99.
  23. Batalden, R., K.S. Oberhauser, A.T. Peterson. 2007. Ecological niches in breeding generations of Eastern North American monarch butterflies. Environmental Entomology. 36:1365-1373.
  24. Oberhauser, K. S., I. Gebhard, C. Cameron, S. Oberhauser. 2007. Parasitism of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) by Lespesia archippivora (Diptera: Tachinidae). Amer. Midl. Nat. 157:312-328.
  25. Prysby, M, KS Oberhauser. 2004. Temporal and geographical variation in monarch densities: Citizen scientists document monarch population patterns. Pp. 9-20 in: Oberhauser, KS, MJ Solensky (Eds.). The Monarch Butterfly: Biology and Conservation. Cornell University Press. Ithaca NY.
  26. Prysby, M. 2004. Natural Enemies and Survival of Monarch Eggs and Larvae. Pp. 27-38. In Oberhauser, K.S. & M.J. Solensky, eds. The Monarch Butterfly: Biology and Conservation. Cornell University Press. Ithaca NY.
  27. Oberhauser, K.S., Prysby, M.D., Mattila, H.R., Stanley-Horn, D.E., Sears, M.K., Dively, G., Olson, E., Pleasants, J.M., Lam. W.F. & Hellmich, R. 2001. Temporal and spatial overlap between monarch larvae and corn pollen. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 98 (21): 11913-11918.
  28. Batalden, R.V., Oberhauser, K.S. (2015) Potential Changes in Eastern North American Monarch Migration in Response to an Introduced Milkweed, Asclepias curassavica. Monarchs in a Changing World: Biology and Conservation of an Iconic Butterfly. 19: 215-224.
  29. Pleasants, J.M. 2015. Monarch Butterflies and Agriculture. Monarchs in a Changing World: Biology and Conservation of an Iconic Butterfly. 14: 169-178.
  30. Prysby, M. and K. Oberhauser. 1999. Large scale monitoring of monarch populations. Proceedings of the 1997 North American conference on the Monarch Butterfly, pp. 379-384. Hoth, J, I. Pisanty, K. Oberhauser, L. Merino and S. Price, editors.
  31. Rea, B., K. Oberhauser, M. Quinn. 2002. A field guide to invertebrates on milkweed. (96 pp.) Bas Relief Publishing Group, Pennsylvania.
  32. Ries, L., Taron, D.J., Rendon-Salinas, E., Oberhauser, K.S. (2015) Connecting Eastern Monarch Population Dynamics across Their Migratory Cycle. Monarchs in a Changing World: Biology and Conservation of an Iconic Butterfly. 24: 268-281.