Monarchs and Milkweed: Coevolution, Chemistry, and Conservation
Anurag Agrawal, Professor of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University
Monarch butterflies are one of nature's most recognizable creatures, known for their bright colors and epic annual migration from the United States and Canada to Mexico. Yet there is much more to the monarch than its distinctive presence and mythic journeying. Anurag Agrawal will present a vivid investigation into how the monarch butterfly has evolved closely alongside the milkweed -a toxic plant named for the sticky white substance emitted when its leaves are damaged- and how this inextricable and intimate relationship has been like an arms race over the millennia, a battle of exploitation and defense between two fascinating species.
Date/time: Wednesday, November 7; 7:30 p.m.
Cost: Free and open to the public
Location: Statler Hall, Cornell University