Tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) has been in the news recently. It can be a host plant for Ophryocystis elektroscirra (OE), a parasite of monarch butterflies (Danus plexippus). Boiled down, milkweed is a host plant for monarchs which carry the OE parasite. The butterfly deposits OE when they land on the plant to lay eggs. Newly hatched monarchs…
