Monarch Butterfly Migration Update: June 10, 2005

Today's Report Includes:

• Latest Migration Map and Data
• News from the Migration Trail
• The Monarch Migration Continues!
• We Need Your Help: Please Report Your Sightings
• Year-End Evaluation: Please Share Your Thoughts!

Latest Migration Map and Data Use the latest migration data to make your own map, or print and analyze our map Click to watch the week-by-week animation.

• The northernmost monarch was seen at 48 N on Ontario's Rainy River, just north of the Minnesota border.

• Sightings of multiple monarchs were common this week. It was not unusual for observers to see two or even three monarchs at a time. This is a noteworthy change and reflects a substantial increase in the monarch population.

• After a cool spring in Ontario, almost a dozen "first monarch" reports were filed from that province last week. "As predicted, with temperatures over the past few days reaching close to 80 F, and lots of lilac shrubs in bloom, migrating monarchs were spotted today," wrote Don Davis on June 5th from Ontario.

• One monarch was feeding on lilacs on the north shore of Lake Ontario, presumably after crossing the lake. "One usually does not see monarchs until mid afternoon as it takes this long to cross the lake. They are often 'punky' - very tired/exhausted," said Rod Parrott, who saw the butterfly.

• Monarchs have now been reported from a total of 34 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. New this week were: NY, VT, ME, and CT: Predicting the Route: Now How Many States and Provinces?

• Perhaps most striking is how SIMILAR the migration is from year to year! As you look at the comparative maps below consider how remarkable this is, given the many variables monarchs encounter.

2000	2002	2003	2004

The Monarch Migration Continues! Other Journey North migrations have come to an end, but we'll continue to track the monarchs until they have expanded across their entire breeding range. Weekly updates with migration maps and data will be provided every Friday until the end of June.
We Need Your Help: Please Report Your Sightings It's an important year to document the migration, so please don't go away. Even if monarchs have already been reported from your state or province, we want to know when YOU see YOUR first monarch. Remember: We can't track the migration without your help!

The Next Monarch Migration Update Will Be Posted on June 17, 2005

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