Date: 08/16/2004

Number: 1

This past weekend, August 14/15, I finally spotted my first monarchs. One unfortunately flew into the path of our vehicle. The second, a fresh looking butterfly was mud puddling. I wasn't able to get close enough to determine the sex.

Also, on August 16th, I finally found 3 monarch larva on the milkweed plants that line the highway near my home. This was all I found in searching about a mile stretch of highway. This was at least a month later than I usually find cats.

I suspect these low numbers could be attributed to the road work done earlier this summer. Along with repaving, stone was laid on the soft shoulders, pressed, then sprayed with a liquid tar. This tar, subsequently splattered many of the young milkweed plants growing along the side in the ditches. I assume this tar would be toxic to newly emerged monarch larva.

What a shame, with the population being as low as it already was this summer, these eggs laid in my area didn't have a chance. Their first meal being

Haliburton, ON

Latitude: 45 Longitude: -78.3

Observed by: Louise
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