Vanessa migration

[Robert Dana]

Yesterday (Sunday, 29 April) in the morning I noticed a substantial number of V. atalanta adults in Minneapolis, along with a lesser number of V. cardui. These were most commonly flying northward, but because this is a densely developed residential neighborhood, there was some dodging around houses, garages, trees, etc., and some investigation of plants, woodpile, etc. Later, I saw butterflies in a couple of semienclosed landscape and garden stores. The ones I got a good look at were moderately fresh looking. These are the first of either of these spp. I have seen this year, though colleagues at work mentioned having seen some numbers of them around here a couple of days earlier.

There was a very strong southerly flow of air (wind!) yesterday, and temperatures got into the upper 80s (F) at least.

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Robert Dana, Ph.D.
MN DNR
Natural Heritage and Nongame Research Program
500 Lafayette Rd, Box 25
St. Paul, MN 55155
651 297-2367
Email: robert.dana at dnr.state.mn.us
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