Date: 06/06/2013

Number: 1

Adult sighted at 4am flying across road near the Naches River (seen in headlights).

I know its rare but I believe monarchs can and do fly at night. This is the second one I've seen flying at night… actually, the latest sighting was more pre-dawn..ie there was some early light. The temperature was warm enough (64F)..the previous day was hot 90F. The wing size/shape and color/patterning (although indistinct because of the lighting) make me 99% sure it was a monarch. Viceroys are not present in the location I saw it..the only other butterfly now flying that it could have been would be a mourning cloak..but these are smaller and fly differently.

Monarchs usually appear in WA during the first week of June (a pattern that has occurred over the past decade) so timing is right. A second report of a monarch was made by another person in Washington (nr Spokane) the following day. The observer is also very experienced and this one was seen during the day! I will record her observation on JN shortly (when I get some more details). Similarly, I have 2 other reports of monarchs seen in N and SE OR..which I'll also report.

So on balance with these other observations I am very confident that what I saw flying in pre-dawn light was a monarch. I think the issue of monarchs sometimes flying at night has been raised before? I'll email Chip Taylor with my observation and seek his opinion on nocturnal activity!

Dr David G James


Associate Professor of Entomology


Washington State University


Prosser, Washington 99350

Yakima, WA

Latitude: 46.7 Longitude: -120.4

Observed by: David
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