Monarch Butterfly Migration Advances to Latitude 45N

Monarch Butterflies

Monarch Migration News: May 26, 2016
By Elizabeth Howard

Riding a river of wind, the monarchs advanced 250 miles northward this week all the way to latitude 45°N in Minnesota. The surge is underway!

"I saw three monarchs just driving home from work yesterday, so clearly a significant number arrived very recently," noted Aaron Brees of Polk City, Iowa on May 25th.

News: Here They Come

As predicted, south winds swept northward across the Great Plains for the past week, and monarchs sailed into their northern breeding grounds. People reported 57 first-of-year sightings, and four new states announced the monarch's arrival — North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The long-awaited surge is now underway.

"At 4 pm I saw my first monarch of the year, riding a south wind and heading north. Very happy to see them here, where a lot of healthy milkweed awaits them," reported Chris Brown from Ramsey, MN.

Backyard Habitat
As butterflies burst onto the scene they found backyard habitat awaiting. With the monarch's plight in the news, people have stepped up their planting efforts, from countryside to cityscape.

"I was planting milkweed seeds in my backyard this morning when a monarch butterfly flew over the yard!" wrote Cindy Pringle from Tuscola, IL.

Webinar: Milkweed for Monarchs
How can people plant milkweed effectively for monarch conservation, and what more is needed? In this 1-hour webinar Dr. Chip Taylor of Monarch Watch shares his experiences and expertise.

Webinar: Milkweed for Monarchs

Chart of Monarch Butterfly Migration Sightings per Week

Sightings Climbing

Post-storm Logging at Cerro Pelon Sanctuary in Mexico

City Monarch

Milkweed for Monarchs
Webinar with Dr. Chip Taylor

Salvage Logging at Cerro Pelon

Ellen Sharp lives beside Cerro Pelon sanctuary, one of the three largest for monarchs each winter. She provides insights into the inner workings of salvage logging there, both legal and illegal, and describes the complex geography and local governance involved. More...

Logging on Cerro Pelon

Report Your Sightings


First Adult report \| map \| list	Milkweed report \| map \| list	What to Report Report
		After first sightings, continue to report all monarchs — adults, eggs, and larvae.
First Egg report \| map \| list	First Larva report \| map \| list

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Next Update June 2, 2016