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Migration of the Monarch
Birds aren’t the only ones heading south for the winter. Monarch butterflies gather for their annual migration to their wintering grounds in Mexico in late August through September. These butterflies are special; they are the “migration generation” of a 4-generation cycle. Unlike other butterflies, monarchs cannot survive northern winters, even as caterpillars or pupae.
Somehow, monarchs that hatch in late summer are able to live 6-8 months, long enough to make a journey all the way to Mexico for the winter. Traveling 50-100 miles a day, they can take up to two months to reach the mountains in Mexico where they will spend the winter. The following spring, they will leave Mexico and start the return journey to North America. However, very few of them make it back to Wisconsin. Most will mate and lay eggs on the way back. “Generation 1” is the offspring of the monarchs who wintered in Mexico. When the Generation 1 caterpillars become butterflies, they live only 2-6 weeks, but continue to fly north. Generations 2 and 3 do the same. They are the monarchs we see in our gardens during the summer. Generation 4 will be another “migration generation” and will gather in “flocks” to begin the mass migration to Mexico.
Migrating monarchs fly during the day and gather together at night on trees. Depending on weather and other factors, you can expect to see monarchs gathering throughout Wisconsin in September but there is one tree in Milwaukee they seem particularly fond of – a sycamore tree on the “Monarch Trail”. The Monarch Trail starts in the Milwaukee County grounds at the Milwaukee County Parks Building parking lot near 94th and Watertown Plank Road. More information and a map can be found at the Monarch Trail website: http://www.themonarchtrail.org/.
The Wauwatosa Public Library has a number of books on monarch butterflies. We recommend Four Wings and a Prayer: Caught in the Mystery of the Monarch Butterfly by Sue Halpern (595.78 H163) and Last Monarch Butterfly: Conserving the Monarch Butterfly in a Brave New World by Phillip Schappert (595.78 Sch16L) in the Adult library and in the Children’s library, Monarch and Milkweed by Helen Frost (595.78 F929) and Magnificent Monarchs by Linda Glaser (595.78 G462).
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