| Roadsides cover an extensive area within the United States, are actively managed, and have been considered potential areas of habitat for several taxa. However, roadsides could act as source or sink habitat for butterflies, as well as other pollinators, depending on host plant availability, nectar resources, and the quality of the resources available. For monarch butterflies ( Danaus plexippus), roadsides may influence host plant (milkweed) abundance, host plant leaf quality (in terms of Lepidoptera species), or exposure to parasites. Roadsides may concentrate monarchs in certain areas and this may increase parasite infection rates. Monarchs are infected by Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE), an obligate, spore-forming protist of monarchs and queens and Lespesia archippivora (LA), a generalist tachinid fly parasitoid. In contrast, roadsides may have lower proportions of infected individuals due to the removal of OE spores by more frequent mowing or the reduced odds of a single LA finding an isolated patch of milkweed. Focusing on host and nectar plants present, butterflies and larvae present, plant leaf toughness, traffic intensity, and proportions of infected individuals, I evaluated the status of roadsides as habitat for butterflies in the southern Great Plains. My results suggest that roadsides provide both host and nectar plants and have the potential to function as suitable habitat for butterflies. My results also suggest that the proportion of infected monarchs increases from spring to fall, but does not differ between roadside prairies and small, managed prairies. Thus, it is important to consider the potential role of roadsides in providing habitat for butterflies. |
