Do the same monarchs that migrate to Mexico each fall return to my area each spring? How long does a monarch live, and how far can they fly in a day?
A. If you live in the northern part of the country, the same monarchs that leave in the fall, on there way to Mexico, don’t return to your area in the spring. Monarchs that migrate to Mexico live about 8-9 months as adults (from late summer or fall until the following spring). When these monarchs return to the southern US in March, they lay eggs there and die. The offspring of the migrating monarchs are the ones you see in the mid-section and northern part of the country in the spring. Monarchs that you see in your area during the summer breeding season live about 4-6 weeks. The ones that migrate live longer because a) they don’t reproduce until spring and reproduction uses up a lot of energy and other resources, and b) they are in a semi-dormant state while they are overwintering in Mexico. They can fly about 50 miles a day while they’re migrating.
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