Date: 01/23/2006

Number: 1

I have tagged monarch butterflies along the SC coast (mostly
Charleston
area) since 1996, and invariably I see, and occasionally tag, a few
butterflies from mid-late December through February. I have also
conducted surveys of hammock islands (small islands surrounded by
saltmarsh) for the SC DNR since fall of 2003, and I occasionally
observed winter monarchs during such surveys.

I have no doubt that a few monarchs pass the winter along the SC
coast, mostly on barrier islands, larger hammock islands and the sea
islands (like James Island and Johns Island). All of such landmasses
are surrounded by water, which provides a buffering effect with
regard to winter low temperatures. Monarchs can apparently withstand
even a few nights in the upper 20s or perhaps lower, but the mean
night-time low in such areas is likely in the mid-upper 30s. On
warmer days (temp >60 with sun) I see monarchs at my work-site (Ft.
Johnson on James Island) with some regularity during winter in most years.

Perhaps these small pockets of wintering monarchs along the Atlantic
Coast is a measure of protection whereby at least a few butterflies
may survive should something catastrophic occur in the large Mexican
colonies? I haven't analyzed all of my observations on winter
monarchs, but I have recaptured a few that I've tagged here in winter
at least a week or so after tagging and generally in the same area,
so I think they are late migrants that tend to stay put in an attempt
to pass the winter. It seems probable that most, if not all, of such insects are killed should 'hard freezes'
occur in coastal areas where they are attempting to pass the winter.

Indeed the migratory monarchs certainly communally roost in the evenings
along the SC coast. I have tagged many hundreds upon capturing them on
the
roost. In fact, this fall (11 Nov 2005) I observed such an aggregation at
Folly Beach in the late afternoon and went out that night (9:15-9:35 pm)
and
hand-captured (by flashlight) and tagged 65 monarchs.

I have seen a few small groups of monarchs in winter here in the
Charleston,
SC area; either communally roosting at dusk or displaying the same
behavior
during daylight when the weather takes a change for the worse after a warm
morning and/or early afternoon. I have not seen such this winter, but
I've
been too busy to search.

It does however appear that the butterflies (likely particularly males)
are
more or less segregated by territories during warm days. I have made a
dozen or more sightings at my Ft. Johnson workplace over the past month,
but
I have found these butterflies to be almost unapproachable and very
difficult to capture. They are usually in flight or basking and seem to
be
fully charged for action and very alert. It doesn't help that they don't
seem to show much interest in visiting flowers, though I've seen a few
doing
so. I have seen a single male on 6-8 warm days over the past month in the
same open lawn area, apparently on patrol. I am convinced that it has
been
the same individual each sighting, and I did finally capture and tag him
yesterday - though I also saw a female (briefly nectaring on henbit) that
I
was unable to capture. Now I hope to be able to identify him with
binoculars should I see him again.

Today I recaptured a female monarch near a butterfly garden at Ft.
Johnson.
I tagged the insect on 4 January, recaptured her on 10 January, and again
today (25 Jan). This insect has been using the same small area for at
least
3 weeks. On each occasion, she has displayed oviposition behavior on
milkweed plants that had been practically gnawed into oblivion by monarch
caterpillars through a few weeks ago.

I expect to capture and tag additional monarchs this winter and will keep
an
eye out for aggregations.

Charleston, SC

Latitude: 32.8 Longitude: -79.9

Observed by:
Contact Observer

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