{"product_id":"monarchs-and-milkweed-9780691166353","title":"Monarchs and Milkweed","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe fascinating and complex evolutionary relationship of the monarch butterfly and the milkweed plant\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMonarch 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. In \u003ci\u003eMonarchs and Milkweed\u003c\/i\u003e, Anurag Agrawal presents 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe monarch life cycle begins each spring when it deposits eggs on milkweed leaves. But this dependency of monarchs on milkweeds as food is not reciprocated, and milkweeds do all they can to poison or thwart the young monarchs. Agrawal delves into major scientific discoveries, including his own pioneering research, and traces how plant poisons have not only shaped monarch-milkweed interactions but have also been culturally important for centuries. Agrawal presents current ideas regarding the recent decline in monarch populations, including habitat destruction, increased winter storms, and lack of milkweed—the last one a theory that the author rejects. He evaluates the current sustainability of monarchs and reveals a novel explanation for their plummeting numbers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLavishly illustrated with more than eighty color photos and images, \u003ci\u003eMonarchs and Milkweed\u003c\/i\u003e takes readers on an unforgettable exploration of one of nature's most important and sophisticated evolutionary relationships.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Anurag Agrawal","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42956771131510,"sku":"9780691166353","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0671\/1374\/6550\/files\/CoreSourceHub_f75c6053-909e-44e1-b932-400559a92ebb.jpg?v=1767718633","url":"https:\/\/ingramacademic.com\/products\/monarchs-and-milkweed-9780691166353","provider":"Ingram Academic \u0026 Professional","version":"1.0","type":"link"}