Photos by Heather Slayton

 
 
 

One of the most fascinating and mysterious creatures on the planet, the Monarch butterfly has always intrigued us. Even in these modern times, scientists are still puzzled by the migration of the Monarch . They have yet to understand  how different generations of Monarchs are drawn  to the same roosting areas year after year. Throughout the summer, two or three generations are raised here in Michigan. From the egg to to their adult stage will take only about a month and somehow the last generation of  summer is triggered  to become the "migratory generation."

This generation travels to the mountains in central Mexico where they  spend the winter; and in early spring they mate and begin heading north.  During their journey they lay their eggs on fresh milkweed and shortly thereafter the adult dies. It may take several generations before the northward bound butterflies reach Michigan in May. So as you can see,  no single Monarch generation makes the entire journey. The big mystery , though, is how do they know where to go?

Up to 250 million Monarchs arrive at their wintering grounds every autumn. They hang on the trees there in such numbers that they literally bend the boughs. The butterflies arrive in Mexico about the first of November- The Day of the Dead to the Indian natives who believe they are the returning spirits of dead children or the souls of lost warriors.  The Mexican mountains are cold in winter and this causes the Monarchs to become almost dormant. Hanging in these huge clusters, they live off of their previously stored food energy and do not become active again until late February, when the drive to reproduce urges them northward once again.The spring departure of the monarch signals planting time to the natives. These fir forests offer an ideal winter refuge and breeding spot for the monarchs. However, the pressure of logging and deforestation is threatening this habitat. Unfortunately, this isn't the only problem facing the monarch.

Another big problem for the Monarchs is the rapid disappearance of their ONLY food source, the milkweed plant. Milkweed is the ONLY plant that Monarch caterpillars eat. It is believed that both the Monarchs and milkweed evolved in the mountains of Mexico and as the milkweed adapted and its range expanded that the Monarch naturally followed. This beautiful butterfly is facing a serious threat as milkweed is listed as a "noxious weed" in Michigan and many other states and is being eradicated as such. As milkweed plants are removed; the Monarchs' ONLY food is removed. If milkweed disappears, so will our Monarchs. Milkweed flower

What can you do to help conserve the Monarch?

Plant a butterfly garden which includes milkweed to provide needed habitat for Monarchs to feed and lay their eggs.

Offer several butterfly feeding stations and damp mud or sand watering stations in your yard.

Support environmental laws to protect the Monarch in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Contribute to Monarch research, conservation and education projects.

Help to protect milkweed, the Monarch's ONLY food source.

Participate in a public program to learn more about Monarchs. The Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Foundation -A Conservation Initiative to Protect Monarch Butterfly Wintering Habitat in Mexico  (also at   http://www.learner.org/jnorth/sm/aboutmbsf.html)

The Michoacan Restoration Fund this site's mission is to save the oyamel forests used by monarchs in Mexico Click here to read The Monarch Watch website's Conservation article.

Where to see Monarchs in Michigan during their journey South?

Any State Park on the Lake Michigan Shore has good butterfly viewing areas, as does Lake Michigan's north shore in the Upper Peninsula at Stonington Point and on the Garden Peninsula east of Escanaba.

Point Pelee National Park in Ontario, about an hours drive from Detroit, is a great place to see them. It's open daily (check their web site for current times) Admission is about $5.75 (US) for a family; $2.75 for adults; $.65 for students. Call 519-322-2365, 10-5 weekdays and Saturdays.

Another good Ontario viewing spot is Holiday Beach Conservation Area, south of Windsor. Farther away are Long Point Provincial Park, about 120 miles east of Point Pelee on Lake Ontario, and Presqu'ile Provincial Park on Lake Ontario near Kingston, which is east of Toronto.

 
 

     Nifty Monarch facts...
 

* The longest recorded flight of a monarch butterfly is more than 3,000miles.
   The monarch can cover 80 miles a day when migrating.

* The monarch makes its migratory flight at speeds of up to 11 miles perhour.
   It travels 16 or 17 feet above the ground.

* The Monarch has been nominated as the United States National Insect.

* Depending on temperature, the time for development varies.  But an estimated number of days the monarch spends at each stage of development is:
 Egg           3-5 days
 Larvae        9-14 days
 Chrysalis     8-13 days
 Total         20-32 days

* Do you know how to tell a male from a female Monarch Butterfly?
 

                                Male                                                                Female

The male Monarch Butterfly may be easily distinguished from the female by noting the two highly visable black spots on the insect's hind wings and the thinner black webbing within the wings. The female's webbing is thicker and she has no identifying wing spot as the male does.
 
 
 
 
 

Check out these additional Monarch Butterfly links...