Date: 04/15/2017

Number: 2

Flying through Oto. Actually saw 2 that day the second individual was at a distance so while I know it was a monarch I don't know that I can speak to its overall condition. The first one I saw and reported was faded. I remember thinking to myself if it were much lighter it could have been a white form of the Monarch.

Over 1 dozen Red admirals and just a couple painted ladies but I am guessing the Vanessa sp. have been around that area for at least a week already as I saw my first Red Admiral in Ames Iowa over a week and half ago. I was out surveying for Vanessa species with the Unified Butterfly Recorder app and thought it was funny when that first Monarch flew by. The only reason I posted it on JN app was I saw it was leading the trend line otherwise I wouldn't have gone through the submission confirmation hoops. I can't speak for earlier in the week there but that day was in the 70's and sunny for good chunks of the day with come periods of decent cloud cover. Wasn't doing any plant survey so I wasn't looking for any of the milkweed species. I will say our Asclepias research plot here at Reiman Gardens in Ames is looking pretty empty the only milkweed of the 9 species out there that is even starting to poke out is speciosa. I wasn't able to get a photo of either I saw I Saturday they didn't stop long enough. One of my students came in to work today saying he saw one on campus so they are in Ames as well.

Butterfly Wing Curator
Reiman Gardens
Iowa State University

Oto, IA

Latitude: 42.4 Longitude: -95.9

Observed by:
Contact Observer

The observer's e-mail address will not be disclosed.
Contact will be made through a web-based form.