Monarch Butterfly And Milkweed Relationship. As such milkweed is critical for the survival of monarchs. The female monarch butterfly will lay her eggs on the underside of the milkweed leaves which provide protection for the developing larvae.
Monarch caterpillars feed exclusively on the leaves of milkweed the only host plant for this iconic butterfly species. Milkweed is a broad leafed native plant that is used by monarchs as their only nursery asclepias syriaca common milkweed and other native milkweeds such as butterfly milkweed and swamp milkweed above are equally monarch friendly monarchs lay eggs on the undersides of the leaves and their larvae become striped caterpillars and feed on the leaves as they develop. Without it they cannot complete their life cycle and their populations decline.
Indeed eradication of milkweed both in.
Monarch butterflies and milkweed enjoy a complicated relationship you know the type. It s a scenario in which the two mutual parties are co dependent upon one another. Monarch caterpillars feed exclusively on the leaves of milkweed the only host plant for this iconic butterfly species. It is sometimes called the milkweed butterfly because it is the only plant the monarch larvae or caterpillars can eat.