Saving the monarch butterfly

[AnonYMouse]

I meant to add: you (Ordphien, since you asked) could probably look up populations in your area from local nature groups.

Here is a list of locations for California.

[Ordphien]

I'm more interested in seeing them in my yard lol.
I'm also not adverse to helping something that's struggling a little.

I find out a local Mission is actually a historic place for monarchs.
They don't come in the tens of thousands, but a fair amount winter in its walls.

Indeed! I'm happy I'm seeing them too!...
When I read this thread I realised I hardly saw any last year, and the year before.
I'm happy there's a little more this year.

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[NYCorchidman]

I thought monarchs travel down to Mexico and winter there???

[Tindomul]

There are many sub populations of Monarch butterflies, many winter in Mexico, but there are others populations that winter elsewhere. In fact Monarchs also live in the old woeld (Europe and Asia) and they have their own wintering grounds, though I think their migration is not as pronounced. The mexican wintering species I believe have the most extraordinary migration and life history of all the subpopulations.

[Laserbeak]

Originally Posted by Tindomul

There are many sub populations of Monarch butterflies, many winter in Mexico, but there are others populations that winter elsewhere. In fact Monarchs also live in the old woeld (Europe and Asia) and they have their own wintering grounds, though I think their migration is not as pronounced. The mexican wintering species I believe have the most extraordinary migration and life history of all the subpopulations.

There have been individual monarch butterflies found in Europe and Asia, but they appear to just have been blown off course and got lost. They are dependent on the milkweed and it is strictly a New World plant.

[NYCorchidman]

Nope, Monarchs also live in Oceania and Asia.

The ones occasionally found in UK and Western Europe are the blown off from USA.

Milkweed plants have lots of variety and many are found outside USA.

[Ordphien]

A lot of tropical islands and Australia has significant populations I believe.
I know Hawaii has white ones.

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[Laserbeak]

Are these really monarch butterflies or some related species? There is probably little to no genetic flow between the North American populations and these others, unlike say populations that live in California that often mate with strays from the main population.

[Laserbeak]

I got some milkweed seeds in the mail today! I'll be planting them soon then order some caterpillars to put on them. How many per plant? How do you know when to do it?

[Kyle]

Where did you get your seeds?

How many catipillars per plant? I'd start with one catipillars for your whole crop. I've only worked with one milkweed species that I would consider fast growing it's first year from seed. The rest are brutally slow.

Kyle