Date: 03/28/2019

Number: 1

This was a flight worn adult moving at about 50 feet off the ground and the air temp. was 61 degrees F.

The weather on 3/27 & 3/28 was warm (high 50’s & low 60’s), both of those days we had a south wind with gusts up to 15/20 mph.
The individual we saw was flight worn (faded) and it was still flying not looking for a place to land just coming through. Your previous question about milkweed. No there is not any coming up around here, yet.

Yes, it was a Monarch. I can understand your concerns as it truly is the earliest I have seen one in Illinois. Both my husband (who also witnessed the Monarch) and I are entomologists. We are also the authors of Butterflies of Illinois: A Field Guide, now in its second printing. We have also just finished a 3 year project for Illinois Dept Resources on butterfly surveys….

Champaign, IL

Latitude: 40.1 Longitude: -88.3

Observed by: Susan
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