Where monarchs go?

July 17th 2013 4588 views

The first monarch butterflies usually arrive in Quebec in mid-June. This year, experts and many participants in the citizen science initiatives by tracking monarch populations are seeing a decline estimated at more than 90% of the population of monarchs for all of Eastern Canada. Never seen. Across the continent, scientists and butterfly enthusiasts are worried and the team of the Montreal Insectarium echoed their fears and their questions: monarch migration in eastern North America -it endangered?

Each year, monarchs spend the winter in Mexico, since the spring came back slowly northward across the United States to finally arrive in Quebec. In 2012, throughout their journey, their reproduction rate has decreased dramatically because they have to deal with extreme temperatures, a record drought, empty flower nectar and milkweed (their host plant) much less abundant . The return to Mexico in the fall, was just as difficult. During the winter of 2012-2013, the researchers found that the monarchs wintering area covered only 1.19 hectare of forest, down 60% compared to the size of last year, which was already clearly smaller than the annual average of 7 hectares. As if that was not enough, the spring of 2013 was marked by cold temperatures and rain records. Reproduction of monarchs then resumed northern path has been greatly diminished.

How to give a boost to the butterflies?

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