Monarch Butterfly News: May 15, 2014
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Sailing on south winds, monarchs advanced into 4 new states and our first Canadian province. Image of the Week

Pushing the Limits
Julie Mast
News: First for Canada!
The first monarch has been spotted in Canada! Near the southernmost tip of Ontario, came the country's first sighting:

"I was astonished to see a female Monarch today at 4:10 PM. She was in beautiful shape. I was close enough to confirm she was a female Monarch and not a Queen or Viceroy. She was flitting around looking for milkweed." May 12, 2014 Goshen, Indiana

Ideal Conditions for Migration
A weather pattern has been in place that's ideal for northward migration. These maps show a typical day last week. See the bulge of warm air that stretches as far north as Michigan? Strong south winds were pumping that warm air northward. In conditions such as these, monarchs can migrate northward quickly from the source breeding regions in the south.

"We've had major bird fallouts in our area the last few days, so the monarch could have been blown north as well. I think the last time we've had a fallout like this was almost 20 years ago." May 8, 2014 Bridgman, Michigan

Was Migration Stalled?
Before this week's south winds, monarchs seemed to be stacking up south of latitude 40°N due to persistent north winds. At that time, an observer in Nebraska reported a remarkable 10 monarchs at the time of her first sighting.

"There were six together in pine trees settled on east side and I saw at least 4 more flying in the field. It was 93 degrees and winds were from the northeast at 20 mph."

Conservation News
Listen to the Google+ Hangout that took place last Thursday, as part of World Wildlife Fund's Monarch Butterfly Week. The webcast features conversations with science, conservation, and education experts.

Temperature Map: Cold in the North
Ideal Conditions
 
Not a Monarch
Elizabeth Howard
 
 
Monarch Webcast
Spotlight: Monarch or Viceroy?
Viceroy butterflies look like monarchs to the untrained eye. How can you be sure which species you're seeing?

Article
Maps: Report Your Sightings
Monarch butterfly migration map Monarch butterfly migration map Map of milkweed emergence: Spring 2014
What to Report First Adult
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Milkweed
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Monarch butterfly migration map Monarch butterfly migration map Monarch butterfly migration map
First Egg
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First Larvae
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Other Observations
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Next Update May 22, 2014