Date: 09/29/2009

Number: 1

I've reported seeing no monarchs this year, neither breeders, caterpillars, nor migrating butterflies. I also have VERY FEW milkweed plants in a field I save just for milkweed. This week I went out to collect milkweed seeds and came back with 2 pods. I left 2 on their stalks to continue maturing. This is out of a field full of thousands of plants last year. Almost all of the tall, single stalked milkweeds that did grow did not flower and so did not produce seeds. Breeding Monarchs in NH lay their eggs on the second growth of the tall milkweeds, not the mature ones, which makes sense because the food then grows fresh for the caterpillars. I noticed that a few plants that I knew had come up were just now producing the second growth--it usually starts from mid July on. All of New England had lots of rain this year.

alstead, NH

Latitude: 43.1 Longitude: -72.3

Observed by: Carol
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