With south winds blowing out of Texas, the migration entered three new states in a single week. A new generation of monarchs is developing across Texas now. Predict when and where the first new butterflies will appear. Also, check out the stripes on monarch larvae and a surprising survival strategy.

This Week's Update Includes:

• News: Migration Moves into Three New States
• Slideshow: Look at Those Stripes! An Adaption to Temperature
• The Migration: Maps and Journal Page

News: Migration Moves into Three New States

Moving Out of Texas
The migration pushed northward and eastward during the past week and entered three new states in a single week: Arkansas, Oklahoma and Mississippi. The northernmost monarchs are now at latitude 35N according to our observers in Oklahoma.

Other than Louisiana (where monarchs may have overwintered), Texas is the only state where monarchs returning from Mexico appeared during the first month of the migration. You can see how important Texas is to monarchs in the springtime!

Warm and Windy
Southerly winds in Texas during 7 of the last 10 days helped the monarchs move northward and eastward. Here at Journey North, we watch wind forecast maps every day to see how wind affects the migration. Try it! Take a look at Tuesday's wind map and learn how to tell wind speed and direction.

Warm Temperatures, Growing Monarchs
A new generation of monarchs is developing across Texas now. The monarchs can grow quickly when temperatures are warm, and may complete their life cycle in less than a month.

• When and where will the new generation appear? Make your prediction with this week's Journal Page.

Sightings on Atlantic Coast Raise Questions
Notice the three monarch reports from Virginia and North Carolina. Every spring at about this time, we receive reports like these of monarchs along the Atlantic Coast. We hope to discover where such monarchs come from by collecting observations every year. We wonder, did the monarchs overwinter along the Atlantic Coast in places protected from freezing temperatures? Did they migrate up from Florida where monarchs are known to overwinter in large numbers? Did somebody release them at a wedding or other celebration? It does not seem possible that they could have come from Mexico. Look at the migration map and notice the progression from Mexico into Texas and then into nearby states. Where do you think the monarchs came from?

Monarchs will not remain in Texas beyond the month of May. It simply gets too hot! This week, check out the stripes on monarch larvae, and learn about a surprising strategy for regulating temperature:

• See slideshow: Look at Those Stripes!

The Next Monarch Migration Update Will Be Posted on April 15, 2010.

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