monarchs overwintering in Tucson

[Jim Mason]

Thanks Paul.  I also got this response from another party.

"In mild winters monarchs may spend the winter in Tucson and this year is
certainly one. We've seen them at Desert Survivor's Plant nursery there and
also there are reports of egg-laying in the Tucson area. In Phoenix we have
a large number of monarchs around town this year. We learned last year that
monarchs will survive a hard freeze at Rio Salado Habitat Restoration area
in downtown Phoenix where we've been monitoring for the last five years.
There are also monarchs this winter in Yuma on the CA border.
 
In Chandler, just SE of Phoenix, I released my last monarch yesterday that
just eclosed from an egg laid in early November. But with our warm first
days of January the monarchs began mating and laying eggs and right now I
have 13 first instars, 10 second instars, 7 third instars, 9 fourth instars
and 1 fifth instar and 9 more eggs on seven plants - there are more outside
that I didn't bring in.  I've never had monarchs continuously since
September when they arrive like I have this year."

Jim Mason, Naturalist
Jim at gpnc.org
Great Plains Nature Center
6232 E. 29th Street North
Wichita, KS 67220-2200
316-683-5499 x103 - voice
316-688-9555 - fax
www.gpnc.org


-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Cherubini [mailto:monarch at saber.net] 
Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2012 10:17 PM
To: Leps List
Subject: Re: monarchs overwintering in Tucson

On Jan 31, 2012, at 7:26 PM, Roger Kuhlman wrote:

> Does anyone know how unusual it is to find Monarchs in the late Fall 
> Months or the early Spring Months in Tucson?

It's routine to find (if you know where to look) monarchs in Tucson and
other low desert cities like Phoenix and Yuma from mid-September through May
or June http://swmonarchs.org/ http://tinyurl.com/6qp24vz

During the torrid heat of June through early Sept.
the monarchs in Arizona tend to be found at 3,500 feet elevation and above,
though even then a few have been seen in Tucson (2,300 feet).

> Do Monarchs breed in the summer nearby Tucson in the high country of 
> Mount Lemon and other surrounding mountain ranges?

Yes, and they have even been photographed near the summit of 9,157 foot
Mount Lemmon:
http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu87/4ALC/new/lemmon.jpg

Paul Cherubini
El Dorado, Calif.




 
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