Show May 15, 2001 Dear Students, However, very, very few monarchs are in Canada yet. In fact, the millions of Monarch Butterflies that spent the winter in your mountain sanctuaries are probably dying now. It is their children that will continue the migration, and it will take until mid-June for them to spread across the northern U.S. and Canada. The butterflies that spent the winter in Mexico lived for a long, long time! Their lives began last August, at the same time your school year began. They flew all the way to Mexico from the U.S. and Canada. They survived the winter months in Mexico, with hardly any food. And they survived another migration back to the north. However, most of the monarchs from Mexico only travel to about 40N latitude, laying eggs as they travel. Then they do not live any longer--or go any farther. Instead, when the eggs hatch the children will continue the migration further north. How long did the butterflies from Mexico live? Let's use this example to see: Question of the Week (May 14th): Question and Answer of the Week (May 1st) Question: Why do you think the monarchs are only migrating to the eastern U.S. states, and not in states like Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana? Answer: The monarchs from Mexico only travel to the eastern U.S. states and Canada because the Rocky Mountains form a barrier in the west. Milkweed is not abundant above 1000 meters elevation, so the monarchs do not breed in the Rocky Mountain states. Did you know that there are also monarchs west of the Rocky Mountains? Those monarchs migrate to the California coast for the winter; they do not travel to Mexico. The western monarchs migrate to 300 colonies spread along the California coast. The California colonies are very small, and not nearly as famous or spectacular as those in Mexico. This week's migration data:
Here are comments from some of the observers: 05/01/01 Marlboro, NJ (40.31N, -74.25W) 05/02/01 St. Louis, MO (38.63N, -90.19W) 05/04/01 Bridgewater, NJ (40.59N, -74.62W) El proximo informe de la migracion de la mariposa monarca Do butterflies migrate from Canada to Mexico?The colorful insect's migration across the North American continent is one of the greatest natural events on Earth. Each fall, millions of monarch butterflies leave their summer breeding grounds in the northeastern U.S. and Canada and travel upwards of 3,000 miles to reach overwintering grounds in southwestern Mexico.
Do monarch butterflies go from Mexico to Canada?Answer: The monarchs from Mexico only travel to the eastern U.S. states and Canada because the Rocky Mountains form a barrier in the west. Milkweed is not abundant above 1000 meters elevation, so the monarchs do not breed in the Rocky Mountain states.
What butterfly is from Canada to Mexico?The monarchs begin their southern migration from September to October. Eastern and northeastern populations, up to 500,000 monarch butterflies, migrate at this time. Originating in southern Canada and the United States, they travel to overwintering sites in central Mexico.
How long does it take a butterfly to migrate from Canada to Mexico?It takes about two months for the monarch butterflies to fly from Canada to Mexico.
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