Heat Cutting Down on Butterflies, Food Source
KINGSVILLE, Mo. (AP) - Ecologists in Kansas and Missouri say extreme temperatures are killing a large number of butterflies and could hurt their southern migration next month.
Millions of monarch butterflies are expected to migrate south through the two states in less than a month in their seasonal trip from Canada to Mexico.
KSHB-TV (http://bit.ly/TvKCqP) reports the Powell Botanical Gardens annual butterfly festival east of Kansas City is seeing the lowest number of monarchs in a decade.
University of Kansas Monarch Watch director Chip Taylor says flowers that should bloom in the fall already are finished blooming, which could be a problem for butterflies that need the plants' nectar for their journey.
Horticulturists say fewer butterflies also could mean fewer birds, bees and flowers as the drought continues.
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