Monarchs, bees and other insects take over Yosemite milkweed fields

Yosemite National Park released a video (above) from its Nature Notes series showing how active butterflies, bees, birds and other insects are in the milkweed fields at the California tourist destination.

“What are those pink flowers in the meadow?” a Facebook post asks, and then explains that they are showy milkweed, a special plant present in the Yosemite Valley. Showy milkweed defends itself from wild grazers by secreting a sticky latex when leaves are broken, and is also poisonous to many animals.

However, there are a few insects that have adapted in harmony with these plants. The showiest is the monarch butterfly, shown in the video flitting around meadows on orange and black wings. Check out the entire episode of Yosemite Nature Notes here.

This story was originally published July 13, 2017 at 11:58 AM with the headline "Monarchs, bees and other insects take over Yosemite milkweed fields."