If only I could fly🦋

As summer wanes and fall approaches, monarch butterflies sense changes in their surroundings.

Their migration an awe-inspiring story. Innate to their nature is their journey, as the universe extends a helping hand.

Like the birds, they too, undertake a two-way migration,

Unlike other butterfly species that can overwinter in various life stages (larvae, pupae, or even as adults), unable to survive the cold winters of northern climates. 🦋

So, they embark on an incredible journey to warmer grounds.

But how do they know when it’s time to travel?

They respond to the changing angle of sunlight, which signals the approach of fall.

Senescence

Monarchs lay their eggs on milkweed plants, and as these plants age and senesce, the butterflies know it’s time to move.

Day Lengthens ...Temperature Drops...Daylight decreases and the air cools, triggering their migratory instincts.🦋

As August looms, the migration begins from their northernmost summer range.

A wonderous ride on air currents and thermals over vast distances ensue. In flights of strength to 3,000 miles of awe inspiring migration!

Eastern North American monarchs second homes in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico, their western counterparts overwinter in California along the Pacific coast.

Forests provide an ideal microclimate for the butterflies, with temperatures of 0 to 15 degrees Celsius.🦋

But, what are the directional aids which monarchs use,

It is in a combination of the magnetic pull of the Earth and the position of the sun.

Monarchs cluster together on trees to stay warm. Tens of thousands of them can huddle on a single tree, creating a mesmerizing sight.

The survival of monarchs depends on the conservation of their overwintering habitats.

Like the 1986 Mexican Government Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve to protect the oyamel forests.

Monarchs can travel between 50-100 miles a day, and their entire journey can take up to two months. The farthest-ranging monarch ever recorded covered an impressive 265 miles in one day!

So, the universe provides monarchs with subtle cues, and they follow their inner compass to navigate across continents. Here is to the delicate balance of nature and the preservation of these beautiful insects. 🦋

🦋🦋🦋🦋

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