Flight of the Butterfly

By Eliza Smiley

The strange migration pattern of monarch butterflies has intrigued many over the years, and CFI 84 is proud to have a monarch butterfly expert on the scene to tell us all about this phenomenon - our librarian Mrs. Loftus.

“In the United States, there are two groups of monarchs.” The ones that we see here in Indiana are part of the “midwestern” group. “They are in Mexico’s Butterfly Biosphere, which is a protected area for monarchs. Right now the monarchs are starting to leave their sanctuaries and make their way north again,” she explains.

These butterflies will end up near the border between Mexico and Texas, where they will lay their eggs and die. The new caterpillars will grow up and migrate north, lay their eggs, and let the new generation take over the migration cycle!

While most monarchs only live two to six weeks, one generation continuously defies all odds and survives more than eight months. Nobody knows exactly why this happens, which just adds to the mystery of it all! The next time you see a monarch butterfly make sure to take a picture and tell us at 84post.org!

All of the 84 butterflies are making their way up north.

Photo credit molly towns