Date: 05/15/2005

Number: 1

On Sunday (15 May) while inspecting my milkweed garden, which was
still showing the effects of the 5 late season frosts I mentioned in
the last Update, I found a monarch female at my feet. She was weak
with torn wings and lots of scale loss. The abdomen was thin and she
appeared to be reproductively spent. I set her up with a feeder and a
fresh cut stem of common milkweed and she flopped around for three
days but failed to lay any eggs. The wings weren't brittle like those
of an overwintered monarch nor were the colors excessively faded.
Because of these traits and since most overwintered monarchs are dead
before 1 May, I judged her to be one of the earliest of the first
generation monarchs coming north from Texas. I'll have to check my
garden for eggs and larvae at the next opportunity.

Today was a good day (May 19). There is hope for monarchs this year after all.
Today in the space of two hours while talking to a landowner about
how to integrate his quail improvement program with the idea of
creating monarch habitat as well, I saw 5 fresh monarchs. These
sightings are an indication that first generation monarchs are moving
north. If there is a flow of monarchs through eastern Kansas from now
through the first week of June, the prospects for the recovery of the
population and a good fall migration will be much brighter. However,
one day does not a season make - so, we will have to keep watching.

Contributed to Monarch Watch

Lawrence, KS

Latitude: 39 Longitude: -95.2

Observed by:
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