Monarch butterflies have begun their two-and-a-half-month migration from northern breeding grounds to Central Mexico, with recent citings in Wisconsin… a journey timed with Dia de Los Muertos. Karen Oberhauser, a professor emerita, notes the celebration’s timing, though likely coincidental, creates a meaningful connection, symbolizing rebirth. Only “super generation” monarchs, 2% to 5% of eggs and caterpillars, complete this arduous, thousands-of-miles journey, weighing as little as a paper clip. Mortality is high, making it “an incredible story of survival against incredible odds.” Monarchs use day length as a migration cue, though climate change can pose threats. Some monarchs are now joining nonmigratory populations along the Gulf Coast, but most still complete the full migration to Mexico.
Posted to wupm.vncnews.com
Sep. 28, 2025 11:19 PM CST
by rstuart