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Photo#879890
Monarch  - Danaus plexippus

Monarch - Danaus plexippus
Coconut Creek, Broward County, Florida, USA
December 28, 2013
Monarch on Tropical Milkweed at Hillsboro Pinelands. Several seen, mating observed.

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

...
It's incredible how you can still find them this late into the year at your location. But then again, it's Florida. :)

 
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I'm in St. Petersburg and they are everywhere right now!

 
Matt
interesting to me, not because I know they breed here prob. year round, but that they were uncommon in the North this year. I'd love to know if there is some relationship- whereas the winter broods might boom after bad Northern reproductive years? I mean it would almost make sense. I saw mating, and since the tropical milkweed is in leaf all winter, larvae would develop and the numbers returning later would be higher (outside of the main sleeping areas- as in Mexico). Most of the sites on Monarchs even by the specilists say there is STILL a lot to understand about the "resident" populations- and if they are really "resident," a dead end in a way, or valuable to the returning group in some way. Since they die and mate on the way up, tagging the S. Florida adults probably wouldn't give anyone great data. I read that in Hawaii they have non-migrant introductions, and also in BRITAIN.

 
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Lots of cool ideas! I will say that, at my house anyway, there are always more during migration. They occur year round but during migration the numbers go up.

 
Population Decrease
I read last year that the population which arrived in Mexico to overwinter decreased by well over 60%. Perhaps that had to do with something up North.

 
Good point Jimmy
yet in some Southern NY areas- they were apparently in good numbers. It was as if they stopped further South. In a semi related note, The more Southern GIANT SWALLOWTAIL is increasing as far North now as Northern Saratoga County NY. I saw them as often as Tiger Swallowtail this year.

A lot to learn with these population trends.

I'm going to see if I can get permission to tag some of the wild monarchs HERE NOW to see if they move North at all as they lay eggs- or die out here after laying. It might be worth the try.

 
Good Luck
I am also interested in seeing migration patterns. Keep me posted to your endeavors. I will say that, here in Kansas, the population was significantly lower this year. Perhaps just a shift in the trend line, or perhaps, something worst.

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