Monarch Butterfly Migration Update: September 10, 2004 Today’s Update Includes
Highlights From the Migration Trail
Sometimes, the most significant news is the lack of news. Again this week, the dramatic observations typical of fall migration have been in short supply. However, we do have these highlights:
These maps show how much colder than normal July and August temperatures were this year in the Midwest. Monarchs grow more slowly from egg to adult in cool temperatures. Are the monarchs late to develop this year? Is that one reason there are so few? Several northern observers are still reporting monarch eggs and larvae, quite late in the season. Good Signs of Reproduction in Southern States?
"We have had an unusually large number of monarchs in our area for this time of year," reports Anita Brisco from Texarkana, Arkansas. She and other observers across the south are finding monarch eggs on milkweed.
This Week’s Fall Migration Focus: Nectar Related Links: How Many Monarchs Nectaring in the Alfalfa Field? The monarchs now passing through the Midwestern states are moving through the U.S. "Corn Belt," so named because so much of the land is planted in corn. In fact, where there was once prairie, over 90% of the land is now used for crops. Hungry monarchs migrating through this region can be hard-pressed to find nectar. Surrounded by miles and miles of corn and soybean fields, the 40-acre alfalfa field shown in these photos is a magnet for hungry butterflies. On this fall day, the alfalfa was in full bloom and filled with butterflies--so many butterflies that the field was aflutter. We tried to count them and estimated one monarch every eight feet.
(To respond to this question, please follow the instructions below.) So Busy Eating You Can Sneak Up and Grab One
Butterfly behavior changes noticeably in the fall as the importance of feeding increases, notes Dr. Lincoln Brower.
(To respond to this question, please follow the instructions below.) Feeding a Butterfly in Dr. Fink’s Kitchen Welcome to the home of Dr. Lincoln Brower and his wife, Dr. Linda Fink. Dr. Fink prepared her favorite butterfly recipe to show you how to feed a captive monarch. Before viewing the video (or reading the transcript), think about how a person might feed a captive butterfly...What would you feed butterfly? How does it eat? Mystery Animal: How Do You Know it’s NOT a Hummingbird? This mystery animal also drinks nectar. It is commonly mistaken for a hummingbird. What characteristics prove to you that this is not a hummingbird? Use your knowledge about the characteristics of birds and butterflies. Inspect the photo gallery and/or video clip to solve the mystery. How to Respond to Today's Challenge Question 1. Address an e-mail message to: jn-challenge-monarch@learner.org 2. In the Subject Line of the message write: Challenge Question #3 (or #4) 3. In the body of the message, answer the question above. The Next Monarch Migration Update Will Be Posted on September 17, 2004. Copyright
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