Since a monarch butterfly’s life cycle is only a few weeks long, several generations will be born over the course of the summer. At first glance, migrating monarchs may look the same as summer monarchs—but there are several important differences.
Migrating monarchs won’t mate or lay eggs until next spring. Instead, they put all their energy into getting ready for their epic road trip. Their focus is on food; they eat as much as possible, and extra nectar is stored as fat in the abdomen. They’ll need a good supply—not only for the journey, but also because they’ll eat almost nothing during their 5-month sojourn in Mexico.
Author: Lisa Schneider
Photo: Journey North
Migrating monarchs won’t mate or lay eggs until next spring. Instead, they put all their energy into getting ready for their epic road trip. Their focus is on food; they eat as much as possible, and extra nectar is stored as fat in the abdomen. They’ll need a good supply—not only for the journey, but also because they’ll eat almost nothing during their 5-month sojourn in Mexico.
Author: Lisa Schneider
Photo: Journey North
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