Date: 08/15/2014

Number: 1

This is a key date in the monarch's wonderful life cycle. If I understand it correctly, monarchs hatched after this date will not mature sexually and will try to migrate to mexico; those hatched before this date will likely stay here, mate, and die.....
Question: are there any knowledgeable experts reading this who can describe the chances of monarchs altering this "schedule"?
Case in point: I saw a newly hatched female yesterday; will she almost certainly stay here and reproduce???? or is there an unknown gray area here? I certainly would appreciate input into this question.
Report-wise: I continue to see a few monarchs, as indicated one new one yesterday. Sightings of caterpillars have been few. Lots of milkweed plants with tiny holes in leaves where eggs hatched, but not many larger ones..........predators/disease/good hiding?
One exception: checked a huge milkweed "soil bank" that had a 50'x50' section mowed about a month ago (to cut down thistles).....i found seven 1st-3rd instars in about five minutes in that little patch last night.......all on newer plants that had survived the mowing.......tempts me to mow all of my milkweed down about the middle of july next year.........
That's it from Osceola, WI.
We'll be watching for the first migration reports in the next two weeks or so.
One last bit. Saw this monarch three days ago. He exhibited migration behavior while feeding........he allowed me to practically touch him.......don't usually see that unless the monarch is a migrant, and this one was an older male, so not likely............
Take care.

Osceola, WI

Latitude: 45.3 Longitude: -92.7

Observed by: Pat
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