From: "Michael S. Lorrey" <retroman@turbont.net>
>No, since monarchs are not dependent upon corn for their diet,
>there are many other crops being planted besides corn, as well as
>wild growth in uncultivated areas.
>Yes, and I suspect that areas that are overwhelmingly covered with
>this GM corn would simply be flown around by the monarchs, much as
>migratory waterfowl change their migratory routes to fit the
>availability of wetlands.
>I'm not sure. However, I have found from my own experience that
>the Monarch Butterfly's primary diet is NOT pollen or leaves from
>plants like corn, but they feed on animal dung. You heard it,
>thats right, animal dung. During the monarch migration through our
>area, I never see monarchs in cornfields. I do however see them
>congregating en masse on piles of cow, deer, and moose dung. This
>key fact in my mind tends to blow out of the water the claims of
>the anti-GM bunch about a threat to the Monarch Butterfly. What
>the GM corn IS a threat to is the Boll Weevil, which DOES feed on
>corn, as well as cotton. However the fact that the anti-GM bunch
>chooses to emphasise a marginal if not false threat to the Monarch
>Butterfly, which most people like and think are beautiful
>creatures, and ignore or deemphasise the threat to the Boll
>Weevil, which most people will admit is a pest that is better off
>on the endangered species list, fits in perfectly with my theory
>of the 'Cute and Fuzzy' modus operandi of the Greens, which only
>incriminates their personal as well as scientific integrity
>(assuming there was any to begin with).
Monarch larvae eat only members of the Milkweed family, adults only
drink nectar.
According to the Monarch sanctuary website, they enter a biological
state during migration to conserve fuel, (2000 miles) so between
that and the limitations of their instincts I think large scale
avoidance unlikely.
Don't let the facts get in the way though.....
Brian
Member:
Extropy Institute, www.extropy.org
Adler Planetarium www.adlerplanetarium.org
Life Extension Foundation, www.lef.org
National Rifle Association, www.nra.org, 1.800.672.3888
Mars Society, www.marssociety.org
Ameritech Data Center Chicago, IL, Local 134 I.B.E.W
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