Maine, Manitoba, and more!

You can add Washington, Manitoba, and Maine to the list of states and provinces where monarchs have been sighted this spring.

At latitude 49.2, Kurt’s sighting in Rhineland, Manitoba, on May 25 takes the temporary crown as our northernmost report of the spring as of writing.

“First one showed up in my milkweed pasture today,” Kurt wrote. Kurt also reported an egg on May 27, the northernmost egg report of the spring so far, writing, "Woohoo!!!"

We also received two reports of monarch adults from Nova Scotia on May 14, more than two weeks earlier than last year’s first monarch reports from the province.

In Mill Village, Patricia reported that a neighbor had seen one on May 14, writing that it was “very early for Nova Scotia.” Andrew reported one on the same day in Liverpool.

Last year, Nova Scotia’s first sighting came on May 30. The year before, we did get one sighting on May 11, but it was the only one in the month of May. We haven’t received any other reports of monarchs in Nova Scotia, so maybe it’ll be a similar pattern this year as in 2023. Time will tell.

Up next: eggs and larvae

With the arrival of adults, many will turn their attention to finding their first monarch eggs and larvae.

“After spotting a male patrolling the yard, I was on the lookout for any eggs,” wrote Laura in Lakeshore, Ontario, on May 25. “This one jumped out at me because it was on the top side of a small plant along the driveway. A quick search of the surrounding Common Milkweed turned up three more eggs. I did not check all of them as I have over 100 plants.”

“Saw an adult female (first one) and she went right for the milkweed patch and we saw her lay one egg,” wrote Rachel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on May 26. “Checked back a little later and there were three eggs we could find. Earliest I have seen an egg near Pittsburgh and very exciting!”

Reports of monarch larvae have been more sparse in northern regions, and unsparingly so. Monarch’s movements through the stages of their life cycle can take a little longer at this time of year.

A 1982 study found that monarch eggs took 37 days to develop into adults at temperatures of 72°F. At 82°F, it took just 22. Currently, we’re not even seeing consistent temperatures in the 70s in many areas, which can slow the process down even more.

In the Upper Midwest, states like Michigan and Wisconsin, which have abundant sightings of adults, are still waiting on their first reports of larvae. Out east, the same is true of New York, Massachusetts, and others.

Just south of those areas, monarchs are progressing through their life cycles, with reports from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and down the coast.

“Three different caterpillars [in] metamorphosis at the same time,” wrote Meg in Savannah, Georgia, on May 27.

When the monarch eggs near you begin to turn into caterpillars, let us know! And remember, you can report monarch eggs, larvae, and adults throughout the season, whether it's your first sighting or not.