Date: 06/16/2018

Number: 1

Two first-of-year sightings, a single adult yesterday and egg-laying female today (6/16) at 41.592622, -70.834623

I was thrilled to catch a glimpse of an adult monarch yesterday when I arrived home, but it was fleeting. This morning I observed a monarch laying eggs on the common milkweed patch in the front but it flew away before I was able to catch a photo.

This is very early in my observations in the same patch over the last five years. What stands out to me is that the common milkweed (A. syriaca) is actually still fresh enough for egg laying. Usually by the time adult monarchs arrive, the milkweed that is used for egg laying is swamp milkweed (A. incarnata) because the A. syriaca is too tough. This year the A. syriaca is still soft and half the height it is usually by the time the first monarchs arrive.

Courtesy of Monarch Watch

Fairhaven, MA

Latitude: 41.6 Longitude: -70.8

Observed by: Louise
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