Where have all the butterflies gone?

This morning, Monday, 23 June 2014 - I went out even earlier than usual, just after sunrise, about 0500, I took a careful look at all the blooming plants (mesquite, creosote bush, holy basil, and several different milkweed species), to see if there were any foraging insects working the blooms. All I observed were a few dozen, very tiny wild solitary bee species, no Lepidopterans of any kind, no flies, not even hover flies, and no milkweed bugs, very few aphids (the milkweed plants are usually lousy with yellow aphids - there were a few on a couple of plants, no more).

I'm hoping that this is simply an artifact of our recent unusually hot and dry spell (our last significant rainfall was in November 2013). That somehow, the weather may have restricted the migration of the various insects, is what I'm hoping is the cause. However, there have been many desert plants blooming and producing nectar/pollen continuously, despite the weather. Mesquite has been blooming in its usual manner, as well as creosote bush, Ironwood, and the Saguaro cacti have been blooming stronger than usual, so there has been plenty of forage available for insects to allow them to migrate from area to area. Where are they? Later today I will be going into town, while there I plan to stop at a few local plant nurseries, to see what's happening there. Usually there are many insects foraging the plants at those establishments, despite their use of various pesticides. We will see.

I've lived all over this country (USA), while I was growing up and then after becoming an adult. When I was much younger, while in Southern California (2nd grade), I first spotted a Monarch chrysalis, about twenty feet up, in the crotch of a large ******** tree (Eucalyptus). I plucked it, along with the piece of bark it was attached to, and placed it in a glass fish bowl, where I observed it emerge. I was hooked. I asked my teacher about them, and she referred me to the library, where I learned much more. I soon was able to locate tiger caterpillars on milkweed plants that were growing on the edges of our school playground.

I've observed Monarch's and milkweed in many parts of the USA. Here in Southern Arizona (the desert southwest), there are only two species of milkweed that are native, Asclepias subulata and Asclepias albicans. There is also an invasive species of milkweed present, a vining one. These native milkweed species are rather restricted in their ranges, though many have been planted by the city of Tucson and Pima county in the landscaping associated with public roads in our area. I'm sure this is an effort to help increase habitat for Monarch and Queen butterflies. It is curious that the two native milkweed species only rarely have leaves, the plants are more usually just a roughly vase shaped collection of upright blue-green stems (2-3 feet high), with clusters of yellow-white flowers, then more typical milkweed seedpods and airborne seeds. When they do have leaves, the leaves are tiny and don't last long.

The only weed spraying I've noticed, is when they spot spray weeds that have invaded this landscaping (they use dye in the herbicide, so it's easy to notice when it's recently used).

In my flower garden, I have sweet clover, alfalfa, sainfoin, holy basil, moringa trees, butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii) and many different native and non-native milkweed species.

Usually there are many different kinds of butterflies, flies, bees (including honey bees), grasshoppers, leaf hoppers, praying mantids, walking sticks, hover flies, dragonflies, and many other insects, frequenting my small flower garden (most are planted in large drip irrigated pots). I have never used any pesticides in my garden. I even remove aphids and other pests, by hand, or with a small spray bottle of water.

I plan to ask the local extension office, to determine what they are using on the alfalfa. I suspect the alfalfa, since there has always been some alfalfa planted in this area, but only in the past 2-3 years has the acreage planted in it, skyrocketed. And, around here some of it is in bloom, every month of the year. So, in the winter months, it would be a major draw for insects that feed on nectar/pollen.

Here's to continued hope that this is simply a natural and cyclical issue, and nothing more. In the next few days, when I'm in town, I plan to stop at some of the local plant nurseries to see what insects are visiting their flowering plant, if any. I've done this often, in the past, and was always rewarded by the presence of many nectar/pollen foraging insects.