"Monarchs moving into Texas this spring are finding much of the state gripped by drought," says Texas butterfly specialist Dale Clark. Read what the citizen scientists below observed this week in Texas. Then write in your journal:
- Can you complete Mr. Clark's sentence? "This lack of rainfall translates into fewer _____ for females to use as host plants and fewer ______ to feed adult butterflies."
- A severe drought in Texas could affect the number of monarchs people see across the United States and Canada this spring. Can you explain why?
Observations from Citizen Scientists
March
13 Saltillo, Coahuila
En la última semana hemos visto a cuatro mariposas. En ninguno
de los sitios que se encontraron las mariposas se detectaron plantas de
Asclepias o otras de las que pueda alimentarse, ya que las hierbas anuales
se encuentran secas.
Translation: In the last week we have seen four butterflies. In none of the places that we saw the butterflies did we detect milkweed plants or (flowers) from which they can eat, because the annual plants have experienced drought.
March
16 New Braunfels, Texas
I saw one monarch in the yard tonight on the lantana. We have
been in a severe drought here and the only vegetation is that in our yards;
no wild flowers this year.
March
16 Dobbin, Texas
My son, Mark, had seen a female monarch laying eggs yesterday, so I examined
some of the milkweed today. There were multiple monarch eggs on some of
the milkweed plants (Asclepias viridis) in one small area. The milkweed
plants are just beginning in our pastures and these are the few that are
more developed.
March
18 Marble Falls, Texas
Saw my first monarch this afternoon in a dry creek bed just west of Marble
Falls and down the Colorado River a bit, but was too far away to see if
it was a male or a female. Haven't seen a sprig of milkweed yet but hopefully
some will appear soon since there was some rain last week. The bluebonnets
are barely making their appearance in a few places. Usually my monarch
spotting & collecting for my classroom coincides with the bluebonnets
showing up around here.
March
18 Gulf Coast, Texas
"Asclepias viridis is really stunted but the monarchs seem
happy with it," said Harlen Aschen on March 18th after seeing 7 monarchs
over the course of the day. In the midst of this winter's drought he commented
that the native milkweed Asclepias viridis will shoot up in three
to four days after there is a good shower. "We expect to see the
milkweed sprouting the end of the February in Calhoun, Victoria, and DeWitt
Counties. We finally got some rain (March 16)."
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Did you know?
All observations that are reported to Journey North are stored permanently in the sightings database.