Escape to Mariposa Sanctuary (Sierra Chincua) - Mexico
Snapshot of our February 2019 trip to see Monarch butterflies at Mariposa Sanctuary (Sierra Chincua).
Monarch butterfly migration is the phenomenon, mainly across North America, where the subspecies Danaus plexippus plexippus migrates each summer and autumn to and from overwintering sites on the West Coast of California or mountainous sites in Central Mexico.
Monarch Butterflies: Great Migration
It’s one of the world’s great migrations. Millions of monarch butterflies from the eastern U.S. and Canada fly up to 3,000 miles to spend their winters in central Mexico, a place they’ve never visited before. This video shows the trees in three reserves covered in what looks like an orange and black blanket of monarchs.
The Mystery of the Monarchs Thymeoff's photos around Angangueo, Mexico (mystery of monarchs)
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Entry from: Angangueo, Mexico
Entry Title: The Mystery of the Monarchs
Entry:
Wow!! Sheer magic!! Last week we had another of those experiences that will stand out as one of the highlights of our trip. We spent a day at El Rosario Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary high in the hills of Michoacán state about 200 km west of Mexico City. Talk about bowled over - we were totally captivated and utterly fascinated by the amazing mystery of these colourful, seemingly fragile, little winged creatures. Of course, we've all heard the story of their incredible migration back and forth from the Great Lakes area of the US and Canada to the Mexican highlands, but to actually stand there and be surrounded by this fluttering mass of millions of brilliant orange, yellow, black and white butterflies as they gather strength for their long journey north is really something to behold. Although many hypotheses have been formulated and theories proposed by entomologists and environmental scientists, it seems that the why and the how of their great annual trek still remains a mystery. Another delightful and tantalizing puzzle of the natural world that will hopefully elude a rational explanation for some time yet! We camped overnight in the parking lot of the Sanctuary and early in the morning ran the gauntlet of the enterprising vendors with their tacky souvenir stands and grubby food stalls as we started the hike up into the pine and fir forests. It was a beautifully bright, sunny day and already there were a few of the distinctive monarchs fluttering around soaking up the warmth. Cameras at the ready, we were determined not to miss any shots in case we might already be too late, as the migration usually starts around the middle of March. Not to worry, we ended up with literally hundreds of photos, and for the first time in three years filled the one gigabyte memory card on the camera within a few hours! By mid-morning the flowering bushes and shrubs beside the path were a swarming mass of butterflies busily seeking mates and following the complicated rituals of the mating game. Maybe some background on the biology is in order (you're allowed to skip this paragraph if you're not interested in the technical details!). Apparently the increasing temperatures and day-length in February and early March trigger the sexual development of the monarchs (Danaus plexippus), and once mature they mate on the wing, with the male carrying the female around until they finally fall to the ground and struggle to disengage. This effort is too much for the males and within days they will all be dead, littering the ground, their task accomplished. The females are the ones who journey north, and will cover the incredible distance of several thousand km in a few weeks by taking advantage of the high altitude northerly airstream, gliding most of the way. In the southern US states around the Gulf of Mexico they will literally come back down to earth in late April in order to lay their eggs on milkweed plants and other members of the Asclepias genera. After about a month the larva and pupa cycle is complete and the next generation of adults then continues the migration, arriving in the Great Lakes area for the summer months. Two or three more generations are produced there with a life cycle of about a month each, and are totally dependent on milkweed for their sustenance. They are clearly able to tolerate the toxic qualities of the latex of the plant, and in fact the brightly striped larvae utilize it as a defence to deter potential predators. The final reproductive cycle results in adults - called the 'Methuselah Generation' - who are physiologically quite distinct and have a life cycle of about eight months. These are the adults - about a 100 million of them - who return to Mexico in the fall for the winter hibernation, with the females ...
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Photos from this trip:
1. The first monarch of the day
2. The swinging twins
3. The mating game
4. Three's a crowd
5. Taking a break
6. A bevy of butterflies
7. The blue yonder beckons
8. Sucking it up
9. Building up strength
10. Going at it again
11. Planning the trek north
12. Reigning monarchs
13. Just one more shot
14. Savouring the warmth
15. Stopping for a drink
16. A living carpet
17. A brimming bush
18. Not bees, not leaves....but butterflies
19. Boughs laden with monarchs
20. On their way northward
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Monarch Overwintering Biology ID
Presented by Emma Pelton (Xerces Society) and Dr. Pablo Jaramillo (Monarch Butterfly Fund). They will discuss the ins and outs of monarch overwintering behavior, biology and migration. January 26, 2017.
Monarch overwintering experts from both eastern and western populations of monarchs will discuss the ins and outs of monarch overwintering behavior, biology and migration. Monarchs are unique in the insect world for their long distance multi-generational migration and their incredible numbers in the oyamel fir forests of Mexico and scattered groves along California's Pacific coast. Learn about the Goldilocks conditions which make these forests just right for overwintering and what monarchs need to survive this season. Also, learn about the threats that these important forests (and the monarchs who rely on them) face and the questions left unanswered about monarch migration. Plus take a sneak peek at all the different ways humans try to count thousands and millions of monarchs each year!
Monarch Research and Advanced Topics
Join Dr. Sonia Altizer, Dr. Lincoln Brower, and Dr. Karen Oberhauser in this advanced topics webinar about monarch research. You will learn about cutting edge monarch research using new techniques to answer questions about things like migration and population genetics. Additionally, learn about research in the areas of overwintering monarchs, disease spread, natural enemies, population trends, and climate change. You will also get a short overview about the new monarch book, titled Monarchs in a Changing World: Biology and Conservation of an Iconic Butterfly.
Presenters: Sonia Altizer is a Professor at the University of Georgia, where she and her students study monarch behavior, ecology, and interactions with a protozoan parasite. In 2006, she launched the citizen science project Monarch Health from her lab. Lincoln Brower has been involved in monarch research and conservation for over 60 years. He works in the fields of conservation, ecology and ecological chemistry of the monarch butterfly. He is a Distinguished Service Professor of Zoology Emeritus for the University of Florida. Karen Oberhauser is a Professor at the University of Minnesota, where she and her students conduct research on several aspects of monarch butterfly ecology. In 1996, she and graduate student Michelle Prysby started the Monarch Larva Monitoring Project, which engages hundreds of volunteers throughout North America.