Monarch Butterfly in Mexico and California
Visit Butterfly Sanctuaries in a Winter Break
Oct 20, 2009
There are two populations of the Monarch Butterfly. One winters in California, the other in Mexico.
The Eastern Monarch Butterfly
The eastern population of the Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus plexippus) lives east of the Rockies. They migrate annually from Canada and the USA to Mexico, where adults overwinter in highland forests northwest of Mexico City.
- The caterpillars need milkweed, and, since it is too hot in Mexico for this plant to grow, eggs need to be laid further north.
- During the year there are several generations in the temperate north, with each individual living for five weeks or so.
- In autumn (fall) the last batch of adults migrates back to Mexico – they would be unable to survive the northern winters.
- This last generation (sometimes called the Methuselah generation) survives until the spring, when it leaves Mexico to travel north and breed again – completing the cycle.
Conservation of Monarch Butterfly Overwintering Sites in Mexico
The WWF, on its website about the Monarch Butterfly points out that ‘A well-preserved forest ecosystem in Mexico is critical for the survival of the Monarch butterfly wintering …’, and UNESCO established a world heritage site to this end in 2008.
The Mariposa Monarca Biosphere Reserve (the UNESCO site) includes four areas that are open to the public: ‘Sierra Chincua’ – near Tlalpujahua, ‘La Mesa’ – near San José del Rincón, ‘El Capulín’ – near Donato Guerra, and 'El Rosario' – near Ocampo.
Combine Winter Tourism in Mexico with a Visit to a Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary
Morelia (itself a UNESCO heritage site) would be a good place in Mexico to combine a winter holiday with a visit to a Monarch Butterfly sanctuary. Reservations can be made at the Chamber of Commerce in advance, and the full day trip (with a guide) costs around $50. The butterflies are around from November to late February, but January and February are probably the best months since the weather tends to be a bit warmer and the butterflies are likely to be flying around.
The Western Monarch Butterfly
The western population of the Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus plexippus) is very similar to the eastern population, except that it lives west of the Rockies and migrates south to overwinter in California.
Careful planning would allow a winter holiday to include some time watching the Humpback Whales that spend the winter off Baja with a trip to see the butterflies, maybe at Pacific Grove or Santa Cruz?
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