• First sightings from 109 people, of which 30 were in Ontario.
• First sightings from Connecticut and Massachusetts.
• The easternmost monarch at longitude 71°W means the population has now expanded 2,500 miles from Mexico.

Gap in the Map
The migration map shows no sightings in the northeastern breeding range. It's common for the migration to arrive 3-4 weeks later there than in the Midwest. Few monarchs are even detectable until July when the 2nd generation is on the wing. Late arrival means fewer generations, so less time for the population to build. The northeastern region contributes only about 10% of the monarchs in the overwintering population due to the late arrival in springtime and the long distance to Mexico in the fall.

Concentrated in Corn Belt
The egg map shows where breeding is concentrated. In the fall, 50% of the monarchs that make it to Mexico traditionally come from the Corn Belt. This is why agricultural practices that eliminate milkweed in this region are of great concern.

Looking Ahead
Reports like this one from Minnesota are a hopeful sign that the breeding season could be off to a good start there.

"What a difference a year makes. One year ago I was excited to have seen 6 monarchs. This year I have already seen more than 20. Instead of 1 egg and 2 caterpillars on this date last year, I have 80 caterpillars and 40 eggs as of today." 6/12/15 Nowthen, MN