Here's the monarch migration update for the first day of May. Let's hope April did bring May flowers for these hungry monarchs. Students at West University Elementary School in Houston, Texas also report below a monarch of the second monarch generation, offspring of those that lived last winter. These new adults are probably now heading north. Do you remember how might we be able to tell which butterflies have newly emerged and which lived all winter long?
CHALLENGE QUESTION There were monarch butterflies spotted in New Mexico on April 20th and 24th. To which population do you think these monarchs belong? Why? Send your answer to: jnorth@informns.k12.mn.us
ASK THE EXPERT Send your questions for monarch biologist Alfonso Alonso Mejia to: jn_expert@informns.k12.mn.us
Date Location April 7 Woodbourne, New York April 8 Loch Sheldrake, New York April 16 Hayes, Virginia April 18 Russelville, Arkansas April 19 Elmont, New York (Long Island) April 20 White Rock (Los Alamos County), New Mexico April 22 Bedford, Virginia April 22 Hilton Head Island, South Carolina April 22 Grahamsville, New York (Sullivan County) April 23 Bowie, Maryland (Monarch wing only!) April 23 Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania April 23 Grahamsville, New York (Sullivan County) April 24 Elmont, New York (Long Island) April 24 White Rock (Los Alamos County), New Mexico April 25 Cape May, New Jersey April 25 Grahamsville, New York (Sullivan County) April 28 Des Plaines, Illinois
Monarchs in Wildlife Sanctuary at Texas School The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade students at West University Elementary School, Houston, Texas, have observed six additional monarch pupa in our wildlife sanctuary on campus between April 21 and April 25. On April 25, one of the pupa came out of its chrysalis as an adult between 2:00 and 3:00 p.m. It was sunny and 75 degrees F. The adult monarch seen in the sanctuary on April 26 was believed to be the same new adult.
The first pupa the students sighted (previously reported) was killed by something, another insect we suspect, which laid eggs inside the chrysalis. The maggot-like larva were seen inside through a hole in the bottom. We would like to ask one of the scientists on this project what they think it might have been that laid the eggs. Also, 5 of the 6 new pupa sighted are attached to the bricks of the school building under a window ledge about 6 feet above the ground instead of on one of the many plants around the butterfly weed the larva were eating. Do the scientists have an explanation for that? The 6th pupa is attached to a Texas lantana about 2 feet off the ground. One last question: Do lizards (anoles) sometimes eat the pupas? We have seen anoles near our pupas. Diane Schroeder dschroed@tenet.edu
April 7 Several students from Tri-Valley Central School in Grahamsville, NY have spotted Monarch butterflies. Bobby Kruckmeyer saw one on April 7th near his home in Woodbourne. Branden Sanders saw one on April 8th. It was heading north. He lives in Loch Sheldrake. Andrew Hollenbeck saw a Monarch butterfly flying north in front of the Elementary School on Saturday, April 22nd. Tom Wright saw one on Sunday, April 23. It was heading upstate. And, Jeniffer Gilmour saw one near the back of her house in Grahamsville on Tuesday, April 25th. Donna Flynn-Brown Tri-Valley Central School, Grahamsville, New York dflynn@int1.mhrcc.org
April 16 Mike Dunn's April 16th sighting was in Hayes, Virginia not Hayes, North Carolina as was previously reported. No wonder we couldn't find Hayes on the North Carolina map! Mike said people who have sighted monarchs notice they're all moving toward the northeast, and trucking! Last year milkweed in his region was covered with monarch eggs, but not this year. Mike wonders if weather patterns caused monarchs to "miss' his region.
April 18 Hi this is Belinda Burns from the Arkansas River Visitor Center of the Army Corps of Engineers in Russellville, Arkansas. I want to report a monarch sighted here on April 18th, last Tuesday. I forgot to tell you until I saw another one yesterday (April 23) and it reminded me! The wings appeared to be in pretty good shape.
April 19 On Wednesday, April 19th, we were at Denise's house about 1: 00 p.m. in Elmont, NY on Long Island. We were playing in the driveway. the day was hot and sunny. we saw a monarch butterfly. The butterfly was flying south. It was alone. Nicole Wolter & Denise Hornung 4th grade, Clara H. Carlson School Elmont, New York K12ELPZR@vaxc.hofstra.edu
April 22 I am a student in Mrs. Spelatis' fifth grade class in Bayville, Long Island, New York. I was on vacation on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina on April 22 and I saw one Monarch on a milkweed plant. He looked healthy and was opening and closing his wings as he sat on the plant. Henry Goldman K12LOKMH@vaxc.hofstra.edu
April 22 Mariya Narodny of Bedford Middle School report the first monarch in Bedford, Virginia on April 22nd. Latitude:33 Longitude:79.5 VANDOT@aol.com
April 23 On April 23 we spotted a monarch's wing on our soccer field. Hopefully, we will spot the entire monarch soon! Our first graders have made a replica of the Monarch Sanctuary in Mexico on one wall of their classroom. Lois Nichols Holy Trinity School Bowie, Maryland lnichols@umd5.umd.edu
April 23 Students in our fourth grade class report seeing a Monarch Butterfly in Huntingdon Valley, Pa., on April 23. We will keep watching for more! Mrs. Judy Nathan, 4th grade teacher, Murray Avenue Elementary, Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania jnathan@mciunix.mciu.k12.pa.us
April 24 My name is June Gladney, and I first spotted monarchs on Monday, April 24. This was in White Rock (Los Alamos County), New Mexico. I saw five monarchs at 12:30 pm. They seemed to be in very good condition and were flying flitting about in front of the school where I work. The temperature was probably about 50 degrees F but the day was very windy. I have no clue if they were males or females. Another teacher told me that she had seen a couple in the area on Thursday, April 20. 74163.1656@compuserve.com
April 24 Mrs. Ferrante's 4th grade class would like to report their first sighting of a Monarch butterfly! Several children spotted it flying west in the playground during recess on Monday April 24. Clara H. Carlson School Elmont, NY. Latitude: 40:43W, Longitude: 73:38N
April 25 One of my students sighted a monarch here in Cape May New Jersey on 4/25/94 at 12:11. Matt Rogers has been keeping his eyes open! If anyone has access to a National Geographic 1976 edition magazine they have a great article on the monarchs as well as some spellbinding pictures! Sue Sullivan, ssulliva@acy.digex.net
April 26 We had our first group of students searching for Monarchs at Liberty State Park, Jersey City, N.J. on April 26. Three were sighted....Could have been there for about a week (not sure) We have a field trip scheduled to coincide with the horseshoe crab/shore bird event. Frank Gallagher FGALLAGH@aol.com
April 28 Many students from Cumberland School in DesPlaines, IL have sighted butterflies that appear to be monarchs. We are aware that the imposter, the viceroy, looks very similar to the monarch for we have done a comparison of the two in Science class. It is difficult for us to discriminate the two; however, from our charting of the sightings, we feel that it could be possible that these butterflies are monarchs. The temperature does not seem warm enough to have enticed the butterflies this far north, but southern Illinois has had warm temps. Can anyone offer us advice for this puzzle? monarch@ais.net
RESPONSE TO LAST WEEK'S STUDENT QUESTIONS: Last week, students wondered, "Why are there no sightings in South Carolina?" and "Was the April 9th sighting from New Jersey reliable?" Here's what other Journey North classrooms had to say:
From NORTH CAROLINA: April 28. Hello from South Carolina!! We're participating in Journey North, just not seeing monarchs! Sorry. I live about 10 miles south of Greenville. I have NOT SEEN ONE single monarch butterfly this spring. There have been other butterflies, but not monarchs. The mountain range is north of us (so it wouldn't seem to form a barrier.) We had a frost last night, the first in about three weeks. The temperature has been in the 70's to 80's F. Until it rained last week, there has been an overload of pollen in the air. This has been the worst year in decades for those who suffer from pollen allergies. The doctors have been busy here. Do you think this may have something to do with not sighting any monarchs? CAThorn@aol.com
From NEW JERSEY: I'm not sure that the early sightings from New Jersey were a mistake...The source is reliable and perhaps it would be interesting to think about how it got there. Frank Gallagher, Naturalist, Liberty State Park, New Jersey FGALLAGH@aol.com
Students Answer CHALLENGE QUESTIONS In response to the questions about where Viceroys spend the winter, we discovered that Viceroys do not migrate. Why do viceroys "mimic" monarchs? They imitate monarchs so that birds will think they are poisonous. Ms. Stone's ESL Class ston0032@gold.tc.umn.edu
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