Asked by: Tayisiya Yunibarbia
hobbies and interests beekeeping

Does Florida have monarch butterflies?

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Like your grandparents, monarch butterflies are now wintering in Florida. Each year, butterfly fans across the eastern United States watch as the monarchs flap thousands of miles across the country to their overwintering sites in Mexico (western monarchs overwinter in California.)


Similarly, you may ask, are there monarch butterflies in Florida?

In Florida, we see migrating monarchs in spring and fall, but also see year-round butterflies who take advantage of our warm climate and the prevalence of non-native tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica). This species has showy flowers, is easy to grow and reliably attracts monarchs.

Subsequently, question is, do Monarchs stay in Florida year round? A warm climate and continuous growing season keep the species hanging around throughout the year in southern Florida. Although the north and central Florida cold winter temperatures can kill them, monarchs from south Florida and those migrating from Mexico repopulate the area.

Moreover, how long do monarch butterflies live in Florida?

Monarchs have about four generations a year. While monarchs usually live about six weeks, the generation that overwinters in Mexico lives about nine months.

Where are monarch butterflies now?

The butterflies now in coastal California are the descendents of insects that left last spring and laid eggs along their route to the Sierra Nevada, Oregon, Washington and highlands of Arizona. Monarchs produce four to five generations a year, each with their own own urge to move.

Related Question Answers

Sylvester Knocks

Professional

What types of butterflies live in Florida?

Blue Butterflies
  • Pipevine Swallowtail. The pipevine swallowtail (Battus philenor) is found in North and Central Florida.
  • Red-spotted Purple.
  • Cassius Blue.
  • White M Hairstreak.
  • Great Purple Hairstreak.
  • Ceraunus Blue.
  • Atala Butterfly.
  • Miami Blue.

Candance Mokeev

Professional

What is the lifespan of a monarch butterfly?

During the summer breeding season, monarchs live for only 2-6 weeks. But the monarchs that migrate to Mexico in the fall are different: They are born in late summer, stay alive all winter, and migrate north the following spring.

Andriyan Poderoso

Professional

Where do butterflies sleep?

At night, or during inclement weather, most butterflies perch on the underside of a leaf, crawl deep between blades of grass or into a crevice in rocks, or find some other shelter, and sleep.

Anica Achard

Explainer

Where do monarchs sleep?

Monarchs are active during the day, or diurnal, and they rest at night or when it is cool in trees, shrubs or other sheltered areas. This state of rest in most insects is called torpor. They do not have eyelids, so they rest with their eyes open. Monarchs are also unable to fly if it is below 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Darvin Cerrejon

Explainer

Are monarch butterflies making a comeback?

Monarch butterflies make a dramatic comeback in 2019. COLLEGE STATION, Tex. (KBTX) The population of the Texas state insect has been on the decline, but recently the monarch butterfly has been making a comeback. "Three hundred million will cycle through this year.

Aifeng Yangel

Explainer

Where are butterflies found in Florida?

Finding Butterflies in North Central Florida
  • Red spotted purple (Limenitis arthemis) on a limestone rock at Suwannee River State Park.
  • Ceraunus blue (Hemiargus ceraunus) are commonly seen in sunny habitats, including roadsides, scrubs and open grassy woodlands.
  • Florida's state butterfly, Zebra heliconian, at Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway.

Remo Poppenborg

Pundit

What flowers do Monarch butterflies feed on?

Many flowers — especially native plants — are terrific sources of nectar for monarch butterflies, but milkweed leaves are the only food monarch caterpillars eat. Monarchs butterflies lay their eggs on milkweed plants so the tiny caterpillars will have access to food the moment they hatch.

Abbass Barr

Pundit

Where can I see butterflies in Florida?

Butterfly Gardens in Central Florida
Lukas Nursery in Oviedo, Florida, has one of the biggest and best butterfly gardens in the state. Its Butterfly Encounter is within a 4,000-square-foot conservatory filled with more native butterfly species than any similar experience in Florida.

Uberney Aliberti

Pundit

What is killing monarch butterflies?

Humans, with all our farm fields, roads and buildings, are largely to blame for the monarch's decline. Deforestation has decimated the monarch's preferred habitats both north and south. And herbicide-resistant crops allow farmers to spray stronger weedkillers on their fields, which kills native milkweed in the process.

Monroe Passerschroer

Pundit

Can butterflies regenerate their wings?

Butterflies develop their wings while they are in the pupal stage or cocoon. Over time their wings do become damaged and tattered as some butterflies can live for months. However, once the damage is done it is permanent, so lost scales and nicks or pieces out of their wings cannot grow back.

Janessa Micheo

Pundit

Elsita Yllera

Teacher

Are butterflies smart?

Pretty smart! Butterflies taste with their feet! They have taste receptors located on the bottom of their feet rather than their mouth or proboscis.

Eloysa Stack

Teacher

Do butterflies walk?

Butterflies do not walk well. Here this butterfly has these big beautiful wings and it's walking instead of flying.

Tolentino Gacitua

Teacher

What eats monarch caterpillars in Florida?

More Monarch Predators List
  • Assassin bugs feast on monarch caterpillars.
  • Birds (Black-backed orioles and black-headed grosbeaks are common predators for butterflies overwintering in Mexico.)
  • Chalcid Wasps (monarch chrysalis parasite)
  • Lizards.
  • Mice will eat chrysalides.
  • Spined Soldier Bug- Predatory Stink Bugs.
  • Toads.

Mohit Gawreck

Teacher

Do monarch butterflies in Florida migrate?

Not all monarchs migrate. Monarchs are year-round residents in Florida and monarchs migrate to Florida and Gulf coast areas, and can often continue to breed and survive the winter. The monarch population in Florida may be a result from migratory butterflies that do not migrate north in the spring.

Gerson Ablassmeier

Reviewer

Marilyn Ganado

Reviewer

Why has the native milkweed disappeared in Florida?

One reason monarchs are failing is that milkweed is disappearing from the American landscape. Scientists blame land-use practices such as farming with crops genetically modified to resist herbicides. The herbicides kill plants such as milkweed that grow around farm fields and have no such protection.

Uarda Maister

Reviewer

Where do monarch butterflies come from?

The monarch butterfly is found in North America from southern Canada south to South America and the Caribbean. It is most common east of the Rocy Mountains and is not found in some areas of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Monarchs that live east of the Rocky Mountains usually overwinter in Mexico.

Kattalin Seaghdha

Reviewer

What does a monarch represent?

The “monarch” is protecting you and they will remain to be your spirit guide. A sign of rebirth and transformation: Transformation and rebirth are some of the symbolic meanings of a monarch butterfly. Therefore, when you see a monarch butterfly, spiritually it means that you need to make a change in your life.