Date: 04/02/2001

Number: 1

No monarchs at Eden (our Tallahassee sanctuary) this morning, but the temperature will be rising into the mid-80s by mid-week so I expect we'll see some in two or three days. Hopefully, some of
them will be from the Mexico colonies, but, on the other hand, some of them may be from those that over-wintered along the coast about 25 miles south of us. One of my Eden workers lives down there (Live Oak Island), and reported seeing "many" yesterday. Sorry, I didn't ask her what many meant.

How can I tell a Mexico monarch from a Live Oak Island monarch from a south Florida monarch? I can't. They won't talk to me. My best guess is that if they're male, they most likely are
southerneastern over-winterers. If they are faded, tired looking females, then maybe they're from Mexico--or maybe from peninsula Florida or a late stage adult from the near coast. We just don't
have the data yet, but we're starting to gather it.



Last fall monarchs remained at Cedar Key until late December, then a severe (for Florida) cold wave must have driven them further south. I'm not sure when they first returned to the area, but
they certainly must have been what I believe to be part of a sizeable population that annually overwinters in south and central Florida. Earl Starnes (estarnes@ mindspring.com) coordinates
monitoring activities at Cedar Key, I'm sure he be pleased to have you contact him.

Tallahassee, FL

Latitude: 30.4 Longitude: -84.3

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