On April 24th, 2008, a monarch butterfly migration report included early spring sightings in Sioux Falls. The sighting was reported even though the larger migration of monarchs from Mexico was still several hundred miles to the south.
The website “Journey North” proclaimed “What a week!” The site collects observations on the migration of the monarch butterfly to northern latitudes.
“According to observers, the monarchs moved into six new states and a most remarkable sighting was reported from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The monarch was spotted by an experienced monarch tagger who saw the butterfly outside his office window only 15 feet away. The sighting was more than 300 miles north of the monarchs that just appeared in Missouri and Kansas. A few days earlier, an observation was made by monarch expert Dr. Chip Taylor. He reported the first monarch in Lawrence, Kansas, and added: This spring is the first time that I can recall the monarchs being ahead of the milkweed. Milkweed is key to monarch butterfly habitat as it is the only food a monarch larva eats.”
“Journey North” also reported a very early monarch was seen on April 11th in New Jersey. As for the sighting in Sioux Falls, maps show there were several days with weather that could account for the early appearance. There were strong south winds that carried warm air northward across the Great Plains and across the Canadian border. It is speculated that a monarch may have rode the winds north.
Though what prompted the early appearance is not known, it was on April 24th, 2008 a monarch butterfly was spotted in Sioux Falls, weeks ahead of its typical migration to the Upper Midwest.
Source : Listen
