For a naturalist, living in Texas definitely has its share of fringe benefits. The diversity of the flora and fauna that can be observed here is nothing short of amazing. One of the amazing feats of nature Texans are privy to are the travels of a small insect. Of course, one does not have to be a naturalist to be impressed with the epic journey that the Monarch butterfly makes every year, as well as the beauty that this species possesses.
The Monarch Butterfly’s ( Danaus plexippus) natural range is rather mushroomshaped in appearance. It frequents the small Mexican states of Michoacán and Mexico during the winter months, while it occupies a large east-west ranging portion of the northern United States and southern Canada during the summer months. It is during its travels to these haunts that it passes through the corridor of west Texas. The Monarch will typically make its appearance here first in mid-April to early May as it heads north to its summer breeding home, and then appear here again in late September to early November (October is the prime time!) as the youngsters travel back to the warmer climate of their winter home.
Many people are under the impression that the Monarch is the only species of butterfly that migrates; however, there is another species of butterfly that also makes a long airborne journey that usually makes its appearance in tremendous numbers a month or so before the Monarch does, and that species is the American Snout. This species is considerably smaller and less colorful than the Monarch, but nonethe- less, it is often mistakenly referred to as “baby Monarchs”.
