Date: 10/10/2015

Number: 29

My husband and I had planned a trip to Wyoming and South Dakota for the week of October 4th. I still had 37 chrysalises that had not emerged. My calculations had them coming out anywhere from 10/3 to 10/8. I packed them up in the car in two different containers and during the next several days 30 monarchs emerged. The first came out before we pulled out of the driveway; she was released in western Nebraska. The rest emerged in the next 4 days. Since there were so many and we were focused on the sites I was not able to record how many each day and what sex they were. They traveled with us from central Iowa, west through Nebraska into Wyoming. North through the Grand Tetons, Yellow Stone National Park, with stops at Old Faithful, mud pits, and the falls. Continued back east through the Bighorn National park, Devils Tower, Deadwood, SD, Mt Rushmore, and Needles Canyon Drive. Continuing east we had a long and leisurely drive through the Badlands SD. During the trip I provided sugar nectar, and orange Gatorade soaked in sponges. They crossed the continual divide several times so not sure if I let them go which way they would migrate, besides the temps were cool and very little vegetation for them to feed on.
Today 10/10/2015, I released 29 monarchs back at home where they started from. 24 have tags, 10 females and 14 males, including 3 males and 2 females without tags.
Total monarchs I have raised from eggs found on my common milkweed plants (started from seed early spring 2015) and released this season -- 195!!

Ames, IA

Latitude: 42.1 Longitude: -93.6

Observed by: Jody
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