Storms delay the migration of the Monarchs: Butterflies arrive in Mexico a week later than usual (and miss their usual appearance at the Day of the Dead holiday)
- Millions of monarchs make the 3,400-mile (5,500-kilometer) migration from the United States and Canada each year
- The butterflies usually arrive by Mexico’s Nov. 1 Day of the Dead holiday
- This year weren’t seen in the mountain reserve west of Mexico City until Nov. 6
The first monarch butterflies have arrived at their wintering grounds in the mountains of central Mexico almost a week later than usual, Mexico’s Environment Department said Wednesday.
Millions of monarchs make the 3,400-mile (5,500-kilometer) migration from the United States and Canada each year.
The butterflies usually arrive by Mexico’s Nov. 1 Day of the Dead holiday, and local residents long associated their return with the souls of the dead returning to their homes.
The first monarch butterflies have arrived at their wintering grounds in the mountains of central Mexico almost a week later than usual, Mexico’s Environment Department said Wednesday.
But this year, the Environment Department said the first butterflies weren’t seen in the mountain reserve west of Mexico City until Nov. 6.
It said the butterflies were delayed because they waited out rainy weather around the U.S.-Mexico border.
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The butterflies usually arrive by Mexico’s Nov. 1 Day of the Dead holiday, and local residents long associated their return with the souls of the dead returning to their homes.
The monarchs spend the winter clumped together in fir and pine trees.
Last year the monarchs covered about 6.12 acres (2.48 hectares), down about 14.7 percent from the previous winter.
As recently as 1996-1997 they covered 44 acres (18 hectares).
There have been several rebound years, but each has generally been less than the preceding upswing.
Increased use of herbicides in the United States have hurt the prevalence of milkweed, which monarch caterpillars feed on, risking their survival.
Loss of tree cover in Mexico due to drought, storms and logging has also affected the butterflies’ population.
THE AMAZING MIGRATION OF THE MONARCHBUTTERFLY
The 3,000-mile (4,800-km) mass migration of monarch butterflies in North America is one of the insect world’s fantastic feats.
Millions embarking on the arduous journey from as far north as Canada down into Mexico and the California coast each autumn.
The number of migrating monarchs has plummeted in recentyears.
Researchers said while an estimated one billion monarchbutterflies migrated to Mexico in 1996, that number stood atabout 35 million this past winter.
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Threats to them includehabitat loss due to human activities, pesticides that killmilkweed and climate change, experts say.
Monarch butterflies living east of the Rocky Mountains spend their winters in Mexico to escape the cold weather while those west of the Rockies spend winters on the California coast before returning home in the spring.
Scientists say their orange color tells potential predatorsthey taste awful and are toxic to eat thanks to chemicals fromthe milkweed plants that nourish them in their larval state.
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