Do bees sting monarch pupae?
A. No, but there are a few species of parasitic wasps that lay eggs in monarch larvae and pupae. (This isn’t really stinging them, but it looks like that’s what they’re doing). These eggs turn into wasp larvae that eat the monarch, then pupate and turn into new wasps. Q. Do you have any concerns about rearing monarchs and diseases? A. Yes. Monarchs can be infected with a protozoan parasite called Ophryocystis elektroscirrha. This parasite is transmitted from mothers to offspring, or from males to females during mating. If these monarchs are infected, they will spread spores on all of your cages and other materials, and larvae that you raise could easily be contaminated. If they’re released into the wild, they could infect other monarchs.
