Date: 09/10/2016

Number: 15

Many multiple individual adults were observed on this 300-acre private mixed-use agricultural parcel. This site is a rarity here due to its size, current use, and private ownership. The fully non-spray (via the tenant farmer contract) hay fields are unfortunately threshed every year in late July, at the precise time that Monarchs are likely utilizing the extant Common Milkweed for foraging and/or egg-laying and/or larval stages. The Milkweed in the threshed fields rarely appears to reach seed-bearing maturity (due to the threshing), yet does grow back after threshing to some extent, and Monarchs are now observed at this time. Milkweed is highly abundant on this property in both the non-spray hay fields, the fallow and open meadow fields that are never cultivated, and to a lesser extent in the sprayed soybean/corn fields (where herbicide has likely not fully targeted Milkweed). There are also some Butterfly Weed, Coneflower, Common Thistle and other late flowering plants extant as well.

Galesburg, MI

Latitude: 42.3 Longitude: -85.5

Observed by: jonathan
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