Date: 04/11/2018

Number: 1

Between April 11-13, I was on Avery Island (Iberia Parish) investigating butterflies. Monarchs--all showing signs of age--were common and attracted to the invasive bull thistle. Since many of the plants were past their prime, fresh flowers were at a premium. Monarchs, bumblebees, and honey bees were all attracted to the flowers. With patience, I was able to photograph a flower head with a single monarch and two bumblebees. The abundance of tattered monarchs and their proximity to the southwest coast of LA is additional evidence of what I proposed in the 1990s based on my work in Cameron Parish to be the monarch's "Trans-Gulf Express." The over-water flyway serves as a shortcut between southwest LA and eastern Tamaulipis, Mexico, both in the fall and spring migration. The unique island even offers the butterflies milkweeds to begin their first generation of the year. PHOTO: April 13, 2018, by Gary Noel Ross.

Forwarded by Don Davis

New Iberia, LA

Latitude: 29.9 Longitude: -91.9

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