Highlights

Butterflies Advance Almost 250 Miles Northward!
For almost two weeks we've been waiting. According to all reports, the northernmost monarchs had not passed 33.5 N since March 11th. Then suddenly the butterflies made a northward advance of nearly 250 miles! They pushed into Oklahoma last weekend, and had reached 36N by March 24th. A mass of migrants also moved nearly 200 miles to the east, as butterflies spread across Arkansas and into Mississippi. Measuring from the beginning of the monarch's pathway in Texas (near Eagle Pass), the migration has now moved 700 miles to the northeast. Had the butterflies moved directly northward the monarchs would be nearing the Nebraska border! Did you predict this pattern?

Eastern Monarchs: Where Are They Coming From?
In the East, monarchs have now been sighted in both Carolinas and in northern Florida. Did those butterflies come up from Mexico? Our map shows a big, blank space across Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. Could the monarchs from Mexico have crossed that region unnoticed? Or, did the eastern monarchs come from the Gulf or Atlantic Coast? Let's watch carefully in the next week. By collecting observations, we have a chance to shed light on these questions about monarch migration.