MONARCH BUTTERFLY, 2020
Monarch Butterfly Summer Observations In And Around The Town of Harrisville.
Date Counted
June 01-07
June 08-14
June 15-21
June 22-30
July 01-07
July 08-14
July 15-21
July 22-31
August 01-07
August 08-14
Total:
Monarch Butterfly Fall Observations In And Around The Town Of Harrisville.
Date Counted Tagged
August 15-23
August 24-31
September 01-07
September 08-14
September 15-21
September 22-30
October 01-07
October 08-14
October 15-23
October 24-31
November 01-07
Total:
Monarch Butterfly egg on Common Milkweed leaf. So small!
Newly formed chrysalis
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Monarch Butterfly Larva
Monarch about to emerged from chrysalis
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What sanctuary do monarchs prefer? Click picture to enlarge.
Monarchs on the move.
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Monarchs heading north.
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Monarchs are leaving early at the Sierra Chincua Sanctuary heading north as reported by Rocoio Trevino on February 19, 2020. This is the earliest date ever recorded. Normally, the monarchs begin leaving in the middle of March. Last year, the monarchs left two weeks earlier. The reason could be that the weather has been warmer earlier for the past two years, and the monarchs are restless and ready to go! Could we see a monarch in Michigan in April? The earliest record for Michigan is April 30th. They usually arrive May 15th on average.
The 2019-2020 monarch estimate of numbers at the wintering sites in Mexico are down from last year from 305 million to 151 million. Michigan and Ohio had the best numbers observed in over 10 years, and led the nation in monarch production this past summer. The total area occupied by monarch colonies will fall from 6.05 hectares to 2.83 hectares this year.
The reasons for the low numbers is loss egg distribution in March and April of last year with later recolonization of the upper Midwest. Low monarch production was observed in Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin which usually has the largest percentage of the states. As noted above, Michigan and Ohio were the top reproduction areas. Also, late migration of monarchs in the northeastern states caused the monarchs to perish in the cold.
December 16, 2016 - Monarch Butterfly now an Endangered Species in Canada.
The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada has classified the Monarch Butterfly as an Endangered Species in 2016 because of a 50% decline in population in the last decade due to habitat lost in the overwintering area of Mexico and severity of storms in the region.
MONARCH BUTTERFLY POPULATION IN THE WEST
The numbers are in for the 2019 western monarch count. There was a slight increase to 29,418 from the 27,218 counted in 2018. This is still far below the 2 million mark in the 1980's.
This male monarch had a rough journey to Pacific Grove Sanctuary in California.
My Monarch Butterfly Waystation #4357, July 15th, 2016. Eighty-four monarchs visited this garden September through October, 2017. Many Honey Bees, too!
ALYSSA LARA OF ALPENA, MICHIGAN, AGE 8, TAGGED (UCS 810) A MALE MONARCH REARED BY ME IN HARRISVILLE ON AUGUST 30, 2015, AND IT WAS RECOVERED IN EL ROSARIO, MEXICO ON MARCH 6, 2016. THIS BUTTERFLY FLEW 2,173 MILES! THIS IS THE FIRST TAGGED MONARCH TO BE FOUND IN MEXICO FROM HARRISVILLE, MICHIGAN. SEE PICTURE OF THE MOUNTAIN BELOW.
Main migration flyways to Mexico start about August 15th from Canada.
This is where Alyssa's monarch was found!
Right photograph: A female monarch on the beach at Harrisville State Park November 03, 2011 (48F.) I have also observed one monarch on November 02, 2011 (59F.), one monarch on November 03, 2015 (62F.), two monarchs on November 04, 2015 (68F.), and one male monarch on November 07, 2017 (40F.) seen at right on marigold flower. Monarchs can appear when you least expect it.
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FRANK APSEY OF HARRISVILLE, MICHIGAN, TAGGED (YGN 925) A FEMALE MONARCH NETTED ON THE BEACH AT HARRISVILLE STATE PARK ON AUGUST 18, 2018 (ON HIS WEDDING ANNIVERSARY)!
THE MONARCH WAS RECOVERED AT EL ROSARIO, MEXICO, IN MARCH OF 2019. THIS BUTTERFLY FLEW 2,174 MILES! THIS IS THE SECOND TAGGED MONARCH TO BE FOUND IN MEXICO FROM HARRISVILLE, MICHIGAN, SINCE 2010. SEE MAP BELOW FOR THE LOCATION OF EL ROSARIO.
THE MONARCH WAS RECOVERED AT EL ROSARIO, MEXICO, IN MARCH OF 2019. THIS BUTTERFLY FLEW 2,174 MILES! THIS IS THE SECOND TAGGED MONARCH TO BE FOUND IN MEXICO FROM HARRISVILLE, MICHIGAN, SINCE 2010. SEE MAP BELOW FOR THE LOCATION OF EL ROSARIO.
Demand for avocados is destroying Mexican forests.
