April 16, 2002 Dear Students, While you were on Easter vacation the monarch butterflies have been traveling! They have now entered the U.S. states of Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and even North Carolina. Here is the information for your migration map: Date City State 26-Mar Monticello Arkansas 28-Mar Texarkana Arkansas 28-Mar Conway Arkansas 29-Mar Morrilton Arkansas 31-Mar Waveland Arkansas 31-Mar Greenbrier Arkansas 2-Apr Hot Springs Arkansas 3-Apr Smackover Arkansas 7-Apr Russell Springs Kentucky 8-Apr Thomson Georgia 9-Apr Conway Arkansas 9-Apr Canton Georgia 10-Apr Mena Arkansas 10-Apr Joplin Missouri 10-Apr Mena Arkansas 11-Apr Dumas Arkansas 11-Apr Benoit Mississippi 11-Apr Dumas Arkansas 12-Apr Norman Oklahoma 13-Apr Cordova Tennessee One female butterfly was captured by a teacher in Arkansas named Mr. Edson. He took her into his lab to have her lay a few more eggs, and to watch the life cycle. That butterfly had already traveled 2,200 kilometers from Mexico. Her wings are now faded and torn. How many eggs do you think this single butterfly will lay? (You may be surprised! She had already laid 80 eggs as of 3 April!) How much longer do you think she will live? The butterflies that spent the winter in your mountains will not live much longer. The females lay eggs as they travel, then die. It is their children that will complete the migration and travel as far north as Canada. When do you predict the first monarch will cross the border into Canada? The next monarch butterfly migration update will be sent on 23 April.