Milkweed is a challenging plant to eat. It is covered with hairs, contains a sticky, gummy latex, and is highly toxic. Yet there are a variety of insects that are specialists on feeding on milkweed. The caterpillar of the monarch butterfly is the most famous.
Anurag Agrawal shares his research on the relationship between milkweed and the insects that rely on it.
Agrawal is an associate professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and the Department of Entomology. He is also the director of the Cornell Chemical Ecology Group and an associate director of the Cornell Center for a Sustainable Future.