Monarch Mania!

Have you noticed the incredible number of monarch butterflies (Danus plexippus) in recent days? We have here in Virginia. I have observed more monarchs in the last half of August 2018 than I have seen in the past five years living in Indiana and Virginia! Watching these late-summer travelers make use of our garden for food and reproduction is a great source of joy and pride for me and Pete. So why does it seem as if we are seeing so many? Is it that we are just paying attention more these days, is our mini-oasis of native plants attracting them so it appears that we are seeing more, or perhaps there are more monarchs than in years past and things are looking up for these little ones?

I was hoping there were just more overwintering monarch adults and that conservation efforts were producing early results. Some quick research revealed a mix of good and bad news. First, the bad news. The 2017-2018 monarch population overwintering in Mexico was down 14.77% from the previous year and continues to decline. And now for the good news: according to Monarch Watch, the migrants from the monarch’s winter home in Mexico got a good start and began reproduction a little earlier this year meaning more eggs, more larvae, more monarchs in eastern North America for this season. Perhaps a small population bump early will result in more overwintering monarchs? Next year’s count will tell us for sure.

We are seeing a lot of monarch butterflies now because they are moving through Virginia, laying eggs in their last reproductive cycle for 2018. Check out this map showing monarch the spring and fall monarch migration. The resulting caterpillars will feed on milkweed (Asclepias spp.) through September. The adults emerging from their chrysalis in late September/early October are those that will join the fall migration. These individuals will be the adults migrating to Mexico and the adults that will be the first to reproduce next spring upon their return to Texas.

In our own gardens monarchs are abundant, nectaring and laying eggs. Last week, there was a sad, tattered looking female depositing a lot of eggs on A. syriaca (common milkweed) in our native gardens.

We had the pleasure of watching her land on the top of the milkweed leaf, move her abdomen off the edge and slightly under, depositing on tiny white egg on the underside of the leaf. At least three separate females have been observed to make use of the common milkweed we have planted.

There is such a sense of stewardship over the tiny caterpillars as they emerge: checking them, counting to make sure everyone is there, getting nervous when the milkweed seems like it might not be enough, and waiting for them to become the adults who will make the long journey south. It feels almost magical when the monarch mommas return in August and that by planting just couple of common milkweeds, we are somehow a small part of something much greater than ourselves.

feasting on milkweed

almost ready to pupate

in position to form the chrysalis

newly formed chrysalis

ready to emerge

pumping and drying wings

Last fall, there was one adult who emerged after pupation, its chrysalis attached to a Monarda didyma (scarlet bee balm) in our garden not far from where it grew up feasting upon milkweed. We watched it emerge, pump its wings, and fly away circling over our home many times before joining the migration. I like to think it was in some small way saying, “thanks”.

For additional information on this year’s monarch migration visit Journey North. At Journey North you can record your own monarch sighting and through the power of citizen science help track the migration of this fascinating species.