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Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society
cardui, over southern Alberta in the fall of 1983; and biometeorological aspects of
their outbreaks into North America and Europe. Canad. Field Nat. 99:147-155. Piggott, D. 1976. Gliding: A handbook on soaring flight. 4th ed. A & C Black Ltd.,
London. 270 pp. Roffey, J. 1963. Observations on gliding in the desert locust. Anim. Behav. 11:359-
366. SCHMIDT-KOENIG, K. 1985. Migration strategies of monarch butterflies, pp. 786-789.
In Rankin, R. C. (ed.), Migration: Mechanisms and adaptive significance. Univ. of
Texas Marine Science Institute, Contributions to Marine Science, Supplement 27.,
Austin, Texas. 867 pp. Urquhart, F. A. 1960. The monarch butterfly. Univ. Toronto Press, Ontario, Canada.
361 pp. Walford, P. 1980. Lipids in the life cycle of the monarch butterfly. Senior Honors
Thesis, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA. 157 pp. Walker, E. M. & P. S. Corbet. 1975. The Odonata of Canada and Alaska. Vol. 3.
Univ. Toronto Press, Ontario, Canada. 308 pp. Welch, A., L. Welch & F. Irving. 1977. New soaring pilot. 3rd ed. John Murray
Ltd., London. 412 pp.
David L. Gibo, Department of Zoology, Erindale College, University of Toronto in Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario L5L 1C6, Canada; and Jody A. McCurdy, Department of Botany, Erindale College, University of Toronto in Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario L5L 1C6, Canada.
Received for publication 20 June 1992; revised and accepted 15 December 1992.
Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 47(2), 1993, 160-161
NOTES ON DANAUS GILIPPUS STRIGOSUS (NYMPHALIDAE: DANAINAE) IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Additional key words: Asclepiadaceae, Asclepias, milkweed, host plant, distribution, striated queen.
The striated queen, Danaus gilippus strigosus (Bates), is a widespread butterfly that breeds throughout much of southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico (Howe 1975); it is common throughout the Colorado Desert in California (Emmel & Emmel 1973). Although adults are found regularly along the Pacific coast of California from Santa Barbara to San Diego and in the adjacent coastal mountains during autumn of most years (Coolidge 1926; Emmel & Emmel 1973), they are considerably less common in the coastal region during the spring and summer (e.g., Orsak 1977). Most late summer and fall records of this species from the coast likely represent adults that have dispersed from the desert; however, some small populations may be established in coastal San Diego County (e.g., Mission Gorge, Otay River Valley) or elsewhere where larval hosts are available (J. Brown pers. comm.). The purposes of this note are to present records of new larval hosts and document the colonization by D. gilippus of the coastal region of southern California.
Coolidge (1926) and Emmel and Emmel (1973) reported climbing milkweed, Sarcos-temma hirtellum (R. Holm) (Asclepiadaceae), as the primary larval host of D. gilippus in the desert areas of southern California, and Emmel and Emmel (1973) suggested that purple climbing milkweed, Sarcostemma cyanchoides ssp. hartwegii (R. Holm), may be used as well. Emmel and Emmel (1973) also reported that larvae of D. gilippus have been taken on Asclepias albicans (Wats.) and A. erosa (Torr.), both of which occur in the Colorado Desert (Munz 1974). Comstock (1927) and Coolidge (1926) reported intro-
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duced oleander (Nerium sp.) (Apocynaceae) as a larval host plant, but it is highly unlikely that oleander is used on a regular basis.
I collected a single larva of D. gilippus on Asclepias fascicularis (Dene.) at each of two locations: 1) near Fort Tejon State Historic Park in the Tehachapi Mountains, Kern County (18 September 1988); and 2) Leo Carrillo State Beach at the western edge of the Santa Monica Mountains about 100 m from the coast, Los Angeles County (2 October 1988). Both larvae were reared to adulthood on their original host plants. The specimens are in the collection of the author. Larvae of the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus L.) are found regularly in the fall feeding on A. fascicularis at both of these localities.
David Marriott (pers. comm.) observed a last instar larva of D. gilippus on the introduced Asclepias curvassavica (L.) near Encinitas in coastal San Diego County (November 1991). He also reported observations (by Maureen Calvert) of pupae on A. curvassavica and adults ovipositing on this species in this area for 8 years. Marriott also reported observations (by Tony Leigh) of a last instar larva of D. gilippus on A. fascicularis at Harbor Lake Regional Park, Harbor City, Los Angeles County (23 September 1984).
In southern California, D. gilippus probably is a permanent resident only in the Colorado Desert. Based on host plant availability and observations presented above, this species may occasionally colonize coastal or montane areas following late summer or fall dispersal. The duration of coastal residency may be determined by low temperatures and host plant availability in winter.
I thank C. D. Nagano, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who brought to my attention that these life history observations had not been published previously, and J. P. Donahue, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, who prompted me to publish these Endings. Dave Marriott graciously provided his field records and those of other amateur lepidopterists regarding coastal localities for D. gilippus.
Literature Cited
Comstock, J. A. 1927. Butterflies of California. Published by the author, Los Angeles,
California. 334 pp + 63 pi. Coolidge, K. R. 1926. The life history of Danaus berenice strigosa Bates (Lepidoptera;
Danaidae). Trans. Amer. Entomol. Soc. 51:27-33. Emmel, T. C. & J. F. Emmel. 1973. The butterflies of southern California. Nat. Hist.
Mus. Los Angeles Co., Sci. Ser. 26:1-148. Howe, W. H. 1975. The butterflies of North America. Doubleday and Co., New York.
633 pp. Munz, P. A. 1974. A flora of southern California. Univ. Calif. Press, Berkeley. 1086 pp. ORSAK, L. J. 1977. The butterflies of Orange County, California. Center for Pathobiol.
Misc. Publ. No. 3 and Mus. Syst. Biol, Res. Ser. 4. Univ. California, Irvine. 349 pp.
Walter H. Sakai, Life Science Department, Santa Monica College, 1900 Pico Boulevard, Santa Monica, California 90405-1628 and Research Associate, Entomology Section, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 900 Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90007.
Received for publication 1 July 1992; revised and accepted 17 December 1992.