OCTOBER MONARCH LAYING EGGS IN KEY WEST, FL.

Monarch laying eggs on Sept. 30th

She laid 4 eggs on this milkweed



Custom's House Museum

Yesterday, I left my home in NW Ohio and traveled to Key West, Florida. The last Monarch from Waystation No. 613 in NW Ohio was released and no caterpillars were seen for several weeks. I raised and released 39 Monarchs from eggs collected off my milkweed plants. I saw -0- eggs being laid or caterpillars for weeks in NW Ohio, until I visited the Custom House Museum off of Malory Square in Key West, Fl.

The flower garden in front had a half dozen milkweed plants and, to my surprise, a female Monarch was visiting them.  I counted 3 eggs on one plant and had no idea Monarchs were still laying eggs on the last day of September, even the southernmost ones. The location of this Monarch and her eggs is about a one minute walk from the southernmost tip of the U.S. in Key West, Fl.  

The weather was sunny and in the low 80's. The Monarch looked a bit "worn", so at first I thought she may have been a migrant from up North, until I witnessed her laying eggs underneath the milkweed leaves. I couldn't fathom a northern migrant doing this! The half dozen milkweed plants planted in the flower garden in the front of the Key West Custom's House Museum had a variety of flowers, so someone must have planted the milkweed on purpose, knowing their value to Monarch butterflies. The milkweeds 
were well taken care of. Hats off to whoever you are...you made my vacation, just witnessing a Monarch egg-laying the last day of September, an event never seen in NW Ohio!

Learn more- Florida Butterflies

I decided to find out more about Florida Monarchs. Do they stay year round? Do they migrate to Mexico? The University of Florida (IFAS Extension) provided me with the answers. Because of  the warm climate and continuous availability of host plants, much of Florida's monarch population stays in the state year-round and breeds continuously throughout the year. Since I took the egg-laying photos (above) a stone's throw from the southernmost point in the U.S., that's why this female was laying eggs in front of the Custom's Museum in late September. Year-round residents are more common in southern Florida, as cold winter temperatures in northern Florida can kill monarchs at any life stage. My stay in Key West from September 24 to October 8 never had below 85 degree temperatures during the day and 73 degree temps at night. the University of Florida data also reports that, in addition to resident populations, the state also hosts migratory monarchs from northeastern North America, but there are competing hypotheses regarding how these migrants travel to, from, or through Florida. These northern migrants, I would assume, have under-developed reproductive organs, so do not breed or lay eggs while passing through Florida. So, I'm assuming the female laying eggs was a resident Monarch.

Dr. Oberhauser's research

That is what I assumed, however, until I came across a report by Dr. Karen Oberhauser. She said that Florida is a terminal destination for migrating monarchs from the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. She posits that these monarchs fly into Florida but don't disperse out, making the Florida population a "sink population." In southern Florida in particular, the warm climate likely stimulates monarchs' reproductive behavior, which upsets hormonal balance and causes them to lose their ability to migrate north. Thus monarchs that migrate to southern Florida may stay and become part of the local breeding populations. Recent research by Cristina Dockx and colleagues, however, suggests that some migrants start to return north each spring, and after several successive generations they eventually reach their natal grounds in northeastern North America.

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It is also possible that Florida is a stopover for migrating monarchs on their way to the Mexican wintering grounds. Migration from Florida to Mexico remains largely hypothetical, but researcher Gary Noel Ross has observed thousands of monarchs on oil platforms in the central Gulf of Mexico, indicating that they cross from Louisiana to northeastern Mexico each fall. However, a recent study by Elizabeth Howard and Andrew Davis found that monarch roosts along the East Coast flyway lagged behind roosts in the central U.S. flyway, suggesting that monarchs migrating down the East Coast are less likely to make it to the Mexico wintering site. Christina Dockx and colleagues contend that monarchs found in St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge (Florida panhandle) are heading to Mexico, whereas those found in southern Florida spend their winters either in southern Florida, Cuba, or other areas of the Caribbean.

I was fascinated with this research, mostly hypothetical, I might add...and that's what makes it so intriguing. I've also seen Monarch butterflies in the southern Bahamian out islands, like Exuma, during the fall months. Could they have been east coast migrants? Or, are they residents of these Bahamian outer islands all year long? I have photos and a post about Monarch butterflies on Exuma Island, Bahamas.

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S believes urban sprawl can be offset by creating wildlife-friendly spaces in America's 25,000,000 lawns, one yard at a time! Click HERE to learn why. A portion of Ad sale revenues will be donated to Monarch Watch. Do you have a wildlife-friendly space? Please share it by contacting us! 

TAGGING MONARCH BUTTERFLIES IN NW OHIO





Teams search for Monarchs

Nine people from the Fremont area met at the Sandusky County Park District office, then carpooled to the meadows around the Sandusky Bay. Tom Kashmir, founder of the Green Creek Wildlife Society, led the procession. They divided up into two teams and began searching for Monarchs to tag. the Monarch butterflies are beginning their 2,800 miles migration to Mexico. A total of 13 Monarch butterflies were spotted, and the group netted and banded 5. 

Kashmir holds male Monarch

Tom Kashmir gently lifted a Monarch from one net and spread its wings to display the two black marks on each bottom wing. These black marks are absent on the female Monarch.

Monarch Tag

Also note the small circular tags. Each wing tag has a unique code and a toll-free number to call. In 1997, Monarch Watch developed new all-weather polypropylene tags. They are numbered specifically for the each tagging season. The new tags are round (9mm in diameter) rather than oblong or rectangular as in previous years. The tagging method is quite simple - remove a tag from the backing, place it over the discal cell and position the balls of your thumb and forefinger over the discal cells on both side of the butterfly, press firmly for two seconds and release the butterfly after recording the tag number and other information on the datasheet.

A tag is placed on wing

Between 1992 and 2011, over 16,000 Monarch Watch tag recoveries have been made. Every fall, tens of millions of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) travel up to 3,000 miles in their migration—monarchs east of the Rocky Mountains make their way to central Mexico and those west of the Rockies fly to the California coast. They migrate farther than any other butterfly. As they return north in the spring, the monarchs mate, lay eggs on milkweed in the South, and die. After hatching, the next generation of caterpillars metamorphose and finish the journey.

Kashmir pointing out the tag Traveling from southern Canada and across the U.S., monarchs fly up to 80 miles a day, stopping to feed on nectar and to rest. Many people delight in watching these vibrant butterflies pass through their neighborhood.

Monarchs must reach their destination before it gets too cold or else they risk death. But cold weather is far from their greatest threat. Habitat destruction and harm to their food sources imperil this phenomenal migration.

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Much of their spring and summer habitat in the U.S. has been ruined by new roads, housing developments, and expanding agriculture. Monarch larvae's only food source—milkweed—has been destroyed by people who consider it a harmful weed. Pesticides and herbicides threaten milkweed, nectaring plants on which the adults feed, and the monarchs themselves.


Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S believes urban sprawl can be offset by creating wildlife-friendly spaces in America's 25,000,000 lawns, one yard at a time! Click HERE to learn why. A portion of Ad sale revenues will be donated to Monarch Watch. Do you have a wildlife-friendly space? Please share it by contacting us!

USE PALM OIL AND DESTROY RAIN FORESTS

It is listed on my "Bucket List"- to hike through a South American rain forest! Before I leave this earth, I plan on trekking through a thick, green rain forest and listen and see the flora and fauna. I want to hear Howler monkeys screech overhead as they munch on leaves, Antbirds swoop by in search of tasty bugs, and even encounter a jaguar. The next time I'm at "Wally's World" shopping (Wal-Mart), I will refrain from buying products containing palm oil. Let me explain. 

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Rain forests are literally bursting with life! Covering just 6% of the earth's surface, rain forests are home to over 60% of all known animal species! But, I received an email from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), asking me to send a letter to Coca-Cola, Wal-Mart, Procter & Gamble, and Kraft Foods asking them to promote the use of deforestation-free palm oil across their industries. It's kind of unsettling when you realize how all interconnected we are with the environment. Yes, I can go to Wal-Mart and purchase dozens of products containing palm oil, and  tropical forests are being cleared to make room for palm oil which is leading to large amounts of global warming emissions. 


Yes, every time I purchase baked goods, cleaning products or hair shampoo, I'm leading to the destruction of rain forests. 

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The demand for palm oil is so high that our planet's tropical forests are being cleared at an alarming rate to make room for new palm oil plantations—and for every acre of trees that are cut down and burned, hundreds of tons of carbon dioxide are released into our atmosphere.


This deforestation causes about 15 percent of global warming emissions worldwide! And to make matters worse, more than half of all plant and animal species in the world live in those forests. With every acre cleared, those species get even closer to extinction.

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But, according to the UCS message to me, there is a ray of hope! It is possible to grow palm oil without destroying tropical forests. Businesses can grow palm oil on degraded land instead of forested land and existing plantations can increase crop yields to avoid the need to further expand into forests.

In June, the U.S. government announced a new joint initiative with the Consumer Goods Forum—a global network of manufacturers and retailers that includes major corporations such as Wal-Mart and Coca-Cola—to make ingredients, like palm oil, deforestation-free.

I hope I can check-off this one item, someday, on my "Bucket List".

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S believes urban sprawl can be offset by creating wildlife-friendly spaces in America's 25,000,000 lawns, one yard at a time! Click HERE to learn why. A portion of Ad sale revenues will be donated to Monarch Watch. Do you have a wildlife-friendly space? Please share it by contacting us!