Page 28 - ARUBA TODAY

A28 SCIENCE
Friday 27 OctOber 2017

Misplaced monarchs: Clusters of butterflies stuck up north

By SETH BORENSTEIN Burgess counted hundreds
AP Science Writer of them Sunday, watched
WASHINGTON (AP) — Mon- several of them fight the
arch butterflies, those deli- strong wind on Tuesday
cate symbols of spring and and fall into the waves of
summer, should mostly be Lake Erie. She saw at least
in Texas by now, winging 50 on Thursday.
their way to Mexico for the “It’s very strange,” said
winter. Sweet Briar College biology
But Darlene Burgess keeps professor Lincoln Brower,
seeing colorful clusters of who has been studying
them — and she lives in monarchs since 1954.
Canada. Monarchs stuck up north
“As nice as this is to see, I are one of many signs of
really wish I wouldn’t see climate change toying with
it because they’re running the natural world’s timing,
out of time,” said Burgess, such as delaying first fall
who does evening mon- freezes and bringing spring
arch counts at Point Pelee earlier, said Jake Weltzin,
National Park in Canada. a U.S. Geological Survey
“It’s really not good for ecologist who heads a na-
them.” tional network which stud-
It’s not just Canada. ies when plants and ani-
Swarms have been seen mals bloom, change col-
elsewhere, including near ors, migrate and hibernate.
Cape May , New Jersey, at Karen Oberhauser, a bi-
levels more normal for late This Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017 photo provided by Darlene Burgess shows a monarch butterfly at ologist at the University of
September and early Oc- Point Pelee National Park in Canada. Wisconsin, saw a monarch
tober. Associated Press on Oct. 20 in Madison, and
Scientists say tens of thou- from migrating south, said They are thought to be a south because winds were sees some hope — for the
sands of the butterflies are biologist Elizabeth Howard, sort of bonus generation — coming from the south for butterflies if not for the plan-
likely to be stranded far director of the monarch they were able to develop weeks and they couldn’t fly et. If not for the heat, some
north of where they’d nor- tracking non-profit Journey and emerge late in the through them. of these butterflies would
mally be this time of year North . season because it’s been Now they may be stuck have died as caterpillars,
because of the unusually Many of these butterflies so unusually warm. because temperatures she noted, and some will
warm weather and strong might not even be alive if Monarchs typically arrive are starting to fall. Howard beat the odds and make it
winds that have kept them not for the warm weather. in Mexico around Nov. 1. said their muscles don’t to Mexico.
This many “stragglers” in work when temperatures Monarchs have had some
Ontario and elsewhere is dip into the 50s. And if they very lean years lately, and
“definitely new territory for don’t freeze, they are likely there is a petition to make
us,” said University of Kan- to starve to death because them a threatened spe-
sas biology professor Chip much of the plants they cies. They are battling a
Taylor, director of Monarch need to feed their long dwindling food supply, es-
Watch. voyage south are already pecially milkweeds which
Some monarchs were gone for the season, biolo- are the only thing they
Tour to the Red Light Lipstixaruba@outlook.com born late, some didn’t gists said. eat when in the caterpillar
District with a Private move south because tem- “What’s really important is stage, habitat loss, climate
Guide & a FREE bottle (297) 630-5329 peratures were warm, they’ve got to get out of change and pesticides,
of wine...
and some couldn’t move town,” Howard said. Brower said.q