Date: 04/27/2006

Number: 1

After unprecedented numbers of northward moving monarchs this spring (still seen a few worn individuals over the last week, but most back in early April), we are about to have an associated much larger than usual spring brood of locally produced adults. I have seen hundreds of caterpillars in recent days on tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) that survived our particularly mild winter. I have never seen so many spring monarch caterpillars before!

I expect a large emergence/eclosion of adults within the next 10-14 days.
However, there are also still lots of early instar larvae as well; undoubtedly the offspring of females that deposited eggs a week or so ago.
Looks like we will have a second spring group to emerge from pupae in 2-3 weeks, if there is enough foliage to support them.

I suppose that most of these butterflies will move northward behind the previous generation.

Charleston, SC

Latitude: 32.8 Longitude: -79.9

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