Kick Off Butterfly Season with This Monarch Q&A
When I caught sight of my first monarch yesterday, my silly heart fluttered faster than her beautiful wings (which you’ll see is pretty darn quick!) It was my cue to set up my butterfly tank and start searching for eggs on the milkweed popping up in my yard. Sure enough, she didn’t waste any time!
And so it begins: my wonderful summer ritual of protecting caterpillars so they can safely form their chrysalises and emerge as the new generation of monarchs. Their astounding metamorphosis is always a gift to watch.
To kick off butterfly season, here’s a fun Q&A about these enchanting members of the Nymphalidae family!
How long do monarchs live?
Most adult monarchs live only 2-6 weeks, with the female laying hundreds of eggs during her life. But end-of-season (or fall) monarchs live 6-8 months. Instead of reproducing right away, they fly thousands of miles south to overwinter in Mexico. Shortly after starting their return trip north the next spring, they lay their eggs. For example, say Sally the migrating monarch leaves my porch in September and flies to Mexico. She stays there until about March, then heads north and lays her eggs in Texas before she dies. It can take several generations before her great-great-grandchild makes its way back to my yard in late May.Do monarchs always return to where they were born?
As I explain above, individual migrating monarchs don’t make it back to their original starting place. But their offspring carry on their trip north. No one knows how, exactly, but some guess it’s like a genetic GPS that’s passed on from generation to generation. All I know is that dozens and dozens of butterflies show up at my house every summer — and I’m convinced they’re returning to the land of their ancestors.How long does it take to get from egg to butterfly?
After 3-5 days, eggs hatch into teeny, tiny caterpillars that eat for 10-14 days before forming their chrysalis. The chrysalis stage lasts another 10-14 days before the butterfly emerges. So the whole cycle takes about 4-5 weeks.How do you tell a male from a female monarch?
Males have a black spot/dot at the top of their hindwings. Females do not.Do monarchs sleep?
They don’t exactly sleep like us, but at night they roost in trees or shrubs, resting in a state called torpor.How fast can a monarch fly?
Up to 25 mph! On their migration journeys, monarchs cover 100 miles a day, gliding in upper air masses called thermals to conserve energy. (The farthest flight recorded is 265 miles in a single day!)What do monarchs eat?
The butterflies drink sweet nectar from a variety of flowers. The monarch caterpillars only eat milkweed. There are more than 100 species of milkweed plants in the US, but pesticides, development, and other factors have drastically reduced habitat.Do butterflies poop?
Although monarch caterpillars always eat and poop, adult monarchs do NOT go to the bathroom at all, either #1 or #2.What do you call a group of monarch butterflies?
Monarchs migrate alone, but at night they come down and gather in clusters, which are called bivouacs or roosts.Are monarchs endangered?
The eastern monarch populations decreased 88% in the last 25 years. And they remain highly threatened by pesticides, climate change, development, and deforestation.What can I do to help?
- Avoid pesticides in your home and yard.
- Plant a butterfly garden.
- Grow milkweed.
- Learn more at Monarch Watch and National Wildlife Federation.How do I set up my own butterfly tank?
It’s pretty easy, but you need a regular source of milkweed to feed the caterpillars. Contact me at merrymom@mac.com and I’ll send you diagrams/pix and walk you through it.