Butterflies – The Beautiful Pollinators
by Stephanie Ho Lem, Promoting Living Green
“Establishing the Bee-Friendly Pollinator Garden” was the topic in the September 2025 View article. Over the years, I have emphasized the importance of bees as pollinators. A group of us in Crescent Heights created a pollinator garden on Crescent Road and First Street NW in 2018. The garden continues with volunteers and is the first bee-friendly pollinator garden for bees to feed and relax in our community.
Bees are not as beautiful as butterflies but are as important in pollination. Butterflies have a weak sense of smell but great vision. They are attracted to brightly coloured clustered flowers that are open during the day. Butterflies can reach nectar as they have a long tongue called a proboscis which they can drink through like a straw.
One pollinator that is frequently photographed is the Monarch Butterfly (Monarchs) with its vivid orange, black, and white colours. National Geographic recently filmed the migration of these butterflies as they are known to make a two-way migration akin to birds, flying south for the winter and returning north for the summer. History says the sight of these butterflies with their bright orange colour impressed the early settlers, who came to North America from Holland and England. They likely named it “Monarch,” after King William III, Prince of Orange, state holder of Holland, and later named King of England.
In Alberta, Monarchs are found where the milkweed grows along the U.S. border. Milkweed is an essential plant for Monarchs to lay their eggs. Unlike other butterflies that can overwinter, Monarchs cannot survive the cold winters in Alberta. These Monarchs are part of the eastern North American migratory population, each alone weighs less than a gram and can travel thousands of kilometres to reach their destination in Mexico. Even though not one of these butterflies has ever been to Mexico, they “return” to the same small groves of trees where their ancestors overwintered one year and at least three generations earlier. Monarchs only travel during the day and need to roost on pine, fir, and cedar trees at night. They will fly 3,000 km to reach Mexico’s oyamel fir forest, where they will cluster together to stay warm.
As warm temperatures and lengthening days arrive, the migratory generation of Monarchs finishes the development, become reproductive, breed, and lay the eggs of the new generation. Generation one Monarchs are the offspring of the Monarchs who overwintered in Mexico. Each successive generation travels farther North, it will take three to four generations to reach the northern border of U.S. and Canada.
Climate change has significant potential to alter the migration, hibernation, and reproduction of the Monarchs by causing temperatures to rise and precipitation levels to increase. The butterflies need to overwinter in forests where the temperature is reasonably low so that their metabolism is not too demanding, but not so low that they freeze. Increased rainfall has been found to reduce the amount of time that the butterflies spend on laying their eggs. When moisture coincides with colder temperatures in their overwintering grounds, Monarchs cannot endure these harsh conditions for more than a few hours. Higher than normal temperatures also hinder the growth and quality of the milkweed, an essential plant that Monarch caterpillars feed on.
Pollinators are important to our nation’s economy. Butterflies play a significant role in pollinating plants that bees do not like to visit. They also are a food source for other species. Eighty percent of the Monarchs were killed when a severe storm hit Mexico in 2002. Storms are becoming more common. The threat of climate change, degradation of breeding habitats due to urban development and intensive agriculture, wildfires, parasites, pathogens, and the use of agrochemicals have direct consequences for the future of the Monarch Butterfly.
There are actions we can take to help to increase the Monarch butterfly population, some are:
• Plant Native Milkweed and flowers.
• Avoid Pesticides: Herbicides kill milkweed, and insecticides harm all stages of Monarchs.
• Create Habitat: Establish “Monarch Waystations” in gardens, parks, schools, or even balconies with milkweed and nectar plants.
• Support Native Plants: Ask local garden centers to stock native species and avoid non-native tropical Milkweed in many areas.
• Participate in Citizen Science: Join programs like Mission Monarch, Monarch Watch, and iNaturalist to monitor monarchs and help scientists.
Monarch butterflies are not just a beautiful sight fluttering through gardens and meadows; they play a crucial role in maintaining the health and balance of ecosystems.
Please note that the content provided is for informational purposes.
Sources: US Department of Agriculture Forest Service; UN Environment – Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals; Entomology Blog-What Role do Butterflies Play in Pollination.
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