In any given year, adult monarchs west of the Rocky Mountains leave overwintering sites along the California coast (with a small number of sites in Baja California and Arizona) in February and March and head inland in search of milkweed on which to deposit their eggs. and northern Mexico to the wintering sites in central Mexico. It is generally the fourth generation that begins where we started this paragraph, migrating through the central and southern U.S. Second and third generations populate the breeding grounds throughout the summer. to recolonize the eastern breeding grounds, migrating north through the central latitudes in approximately late April through May. The first generation offspring from the overwintering population continue the journey from the southern U.S. In March, this generation begins the journey north into Texas and southern states, laying eggs and nectaring as they migrate and breed. These locations provide cool temperatures, water, and adequate shelter to protect them from predators and allow them to conserve enough energy to survive winter. Upon reaching their destination in central Mexico beginning in early November, monarchs aggregate in oyamel fir trees on south-southwest facing mountain slopes. Along the way, they find refuge in stopover sites with abundant nectar sources and shelter from harsh weather. and southern Canada, monarchs funnel toward Mexico. enter reproductive diapause (do not reproduce) and begin to migrate south in search of the overwintering grounds where they have never been before. Most monarch butterflies that emerge after about mid August in the eastern U.S. Unlike summer generations that live for two to six weeks as adults, adults in the migratory generation can live for up to nine months. Eastern Monarchsĭecreasing day length and temperatures, along with aging milkweed and fewer nectar sources trigger a change in monarchs this change signifies the beginning of the migratory generation. ![]() Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Missouri Department of Conservation. Forest Service - International Programs, U.S. This map was created in collaboration with the Center for Global Environmental Education at Hamline University with generous support from U.S. When each animation is finished, click on the butterfly to learn more with videos and slide shows. Interactive Monarch MigrationĬlick on the seasons on the right for an interactive view of the monarchs' annual migration. to the Mexican wintering sites, or butterflies from the Mexican sites fly into the western U.S. There is evidence of some interchange between the eastern and western populations, perhaps when individuals cross the Rocky Mountains, when butterflies fly from the western U.S. East of the Rocky Mountains, monarchs travel up to an astonishing 3,000 miles to central Mexico, whereas the shorter migration west of the Rockies is to the California coast. ![]() Each fall, North American monarchs travel from their summer breeding grounds to overwintering locations.
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