[Pollinator] More on Monarchs in Space - Update

[Ladadams at aol.com]

Jim Lovett has updated the photo galleries for the developing monarch  
caterpillars aboard the  ISS

http://monarchwatch.smugmug.com/Monarchs-in-Space/Monarchs-on-the-Space-Stat
ion/10305636_wwEsm#720481425_Md94C

and  for the control monarchs being maintained at the headquarters for 
BioServe  Space Technologies at the University of  Colorado

http://monarchwatch.smugmug.com/Monarchs-in-Space/Monarchs-on-Earth/10367121
_hyZuM#720485050_p9x7Y

Note  that the locations and overall feeding of the caterpillars in 
the habitats  does not differ greatly - although floating and highly 
scattered frass is  evident in the habitat aboard the ISS.
The relative amounts of frass in the  two habitats are hard to judge 
but are probably similar.

If you are  interested in seeing more shots of the Kennedy Space 
Center, Jim has posted  additional photos  at

http://monarchwatch.smugmug.com/Monarchs-in-Space/Kennedy-Space-Center/10319
760_Qw9Kp#713269722_TeowT

Sometime  in the next 24 hours caterpillars in both habitats should 
begin to lay down  the silk beds and the silk buttons from which they 
will hang in the J stage  prior to forming the chrysalis/pupa. The 
caterpillars in the control chamber  are likely to form the beds on 
the balsa wood that can be seen at the top of  the chamber (upper edge 
of each image). But, where will the caterpillars  "hang up" in the ISS 
habitat? Will they try to form the silk pads on the  top, on the sides 
or on the bottom or even on the Plexiglass front of the  chamber? I'm 
waiting anxiously to find out.

Chip Taylor
Monarch Watch







Laurie Davies Adams
Executive  Director
Pollinator Partnership 
423 Washington Street, 5th  floor
San Francisco, CA  94111
415-362-1137
LDA at pollinator.org

_www.pollinator.org_ (http://www.pollinator.org/) 

_www.nappc.org_ (http://www.nappc.org/) 

National Pollinator Week is June 21-27, 2010. 
Beecome  involved at _www.pollinator.org_ (http://www.pollinator.org/) 
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