Date: 02/10/2006

Number: 1

March 4, 2006


My friend, Rod Parrot of Ontario, who is spending the
winter in Punta Gorda, Florida, says that monarchs in
the southern part of Florida are on the move north. He
has not seen a monarch in 3 weeks (est. Feb. 10, 2006). Do other Florida
monarch observers note any movement?


December 19, 2005

This afternoon, I spoke by telephone with Ontario butterfly breeders
Rod and Joan Parrott, who will be spending the winter months Punta
Gorda, Florida, north of For Meyers (temperature 80 F today). Rod
reports that he is seeing monarchs on a daily basis. Two years ago, he
says he only saw about 6 during his entire stay in Florida, but the
situation is very different this year. They are finding monarch eggs
and larva, and are rearing these in their kitchen (to later be
released). Rod says that the flight of the adults is random as opposed
to being directional. Eggs are being found on "white vine" (milkweed
family), a yellow milkweed and tropical milkweed. A nearby resident who
has a butterfly garden told him that monarchs began to arrive in Punta
Gorda towards the end of September.
Prior to that, he or she saw none. This person takes the monarch larva
into schools.

Rod will continue to record his observations.

Punta Gorda, FL

Latitude: 27 Longitude: -82.2

Observed by:
Contact Observer

The observer's e-mail address will not be disclosed.
Contact will be made through a web-based form.