Butterflies of the World - Lifecycle, Ecology, Taxonomy, Conservation, Photography, Butterfly Holidays, Photo Galleries, Book Reviews and more.........
Text and photographs protected by Copyright © Adrian Hoskins 2007, and must not be published in part or in whole elsewhere without prior written permission from the author.
Migration and dispersal  PAGE 2
 
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The Monarch
Danaus plexippus LINNAEUS, 1758
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily - DANAINAE
Tribe - DANAINI
subtribe - DANAINA
 
Photo Copyright © Ingo Arndt from the book "Nomads of the Wind"
Papadakis Publishers 2008. read review here.

The most famous butterfly migrant is the Monarch Danaus plexippus, which migrates annually over a distance of 2000 miles ( 3200km ) between it's northern breeding territories in Canada, and it's southern over-wintering grounds in Mexico.

Tagging of individual butterflies has proven that they regularly cover distances of up to 1100 miles in a few days.

Each autumn, as the climate cools in North America, vast numbers of Monarchs fly south, channelling into a few forested areas in the Mexican Highlands. During the winter months, fir trees in the tiny El Rosario sanctuary become festooned with millions of Monarchs. They totally cover the leaves, branches and trunks, sometimes even causing trees to fall under the weight of so many butterflies.

It has been estimated that an incredible 800 million Monarchs were present in the reserve in the mid-1990's, but numbers dropped to about 100 million in 2004. The reasons for the variation are partly climatic, but the collapse is mainly attributable to illegal logging in the reserve.

In February and March the butterflies awaken from hibernation, and the air becomes a swirling seething mass of orange and black, as tens of thousands of Monarchs take to the air. As the days get warmer, the butterflies gradually filter out of the sanctuaries and begin their return journey northwards. The females pause to lay eggs as they travel, creating temporary colonies along the route. The progeny also migrate northwards, laying their own eggs. Most of the original butterflies probably perish during the return journey, but there is strong evidence to indicate that some at least manage to return to the original breeding grounds in the north.

Photo Copyright © Ingo Arndt from the book "Nomads of the Wind". Papadakis Publishers 2008.
 

Another well known migrant is the African Caper White Belenois aurota. In December 1975 Torben Larsen observed a migration of this species passing between the Aberdare mountains and Mount Kenya. He estimated that in a single day "more than 4 million individuals passed, but the migration lasted several days".

 
Further reading :
 
The Migration of Butterflies, WILLIAMS, C.B., published by Oliver & Boyd, 1930
Nomads of the Wind, ARNDT, I., Papadakis Publishers, London, 2008. read review here
 
Photographs on this page protected by Copyright © Ingo Arndt, and must not be reproduced or published in part or in whole elsewhere in any form without written permission from Papadakis Publishers, London.
 
Text Copyright © Adrian Hoskins 2008, and must not be reproduced in part or in whole elsewhere in any form without prior written permission from Adrian Hoskins, webmaster of learnaboutbutterflies.com
 
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