Monarch Butterfly
The monarch butterfly or simply monarch is a milkweed butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. Other common names depending on region include milkweed, common tiger, wanderer, and black veined brown. Monarch butterflies perform annual migrations across North America which have been called "one of the most spectacular natural phenomena in the world of migration..." The monarch butterflies will spend their winter hibernation in Mexico and some parts of Southern California where it is warm all year long. If the monarch lives in the Eastern states, usually east of the Rocky Mountains, it will migrate to Mexico and hibernate in oyamel fir trees.
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-male
Monarch butterflies are one of the most recognizable species in Canada. While they have been spotted on almost every continent in the world and colonies have established in some tropical climates, the migratory population of North America is a unique natural phenomena.
From late August to mid-October monarchs migrate south through Ontario. The Great Lakes act as a barrier and the butterflies choose the shortest points to cross the lakes, like Point Pelee. They tend to move on cold fronts, and numbers of monarchs will only build when weather conditions (rain, wind or temperature) prevent them from crossing Lake Erie. Resting monarchs are best viewed at the Tip just before sunset or in the early morning – look for sheltered areas near the tops of trees. Always
remember, monarchs with closed wings look like dead leaves, so a pair of binoculars will come in handy.
For a few special days each autumn, Point Pelee is a temporary home to countless thousands of migrating Monarch butterflies. Although commonly observed roosting in trees in times of cold weather – warm weather can preempt a stop-over altogether – the Monarchs are never in the habit of lingering. Once favourable conditions present themselves – warmer temperatures and supportive winds – they forge on across Lake Erie toward their destination in the mountains of central Mexico some 3,000 kilometres [1,800 miles] away. The Pelee peninsula offers the shortest route across the lake. Point Pelee’s shape funnels the Monarchs to its tip.
