Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Biological Observations of Monarch Butterfly Behavior at a Migratory Stopover Site: Results from a Long-term Tagging Study in Coastal South Carolina

  • Published:
Journal of Insect Behavior Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Like most migratory species, monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) must stop frequently during their long southward migration to rest and refuel, and the places where they stop are important for the success of the migration. The behavior of monarch butterflies at migratory stopover sites has never been examined in detail. Here we present results of a long-term study of monarchs at one stopover site in coastal South Carolina where over 12,000 monarchs have been captured, measured and tagged (with numbered stickers to track recovery rates) over 13 years. Only 3 monarchs (0.023%) were recovered at the monarchs’ overwintering sites in Mexico, which is consistent with other tagging studies on the eastern coast. The migration season was longer at this site than at inland locations and monarchs continued to be captured in November and December, when most monarchs had already arrived at the overwintering areas in Mexico. In addition, there were 94 monarchs captured between Jan 1 and Mar 15, indicating that some monarchs overwinter at this site. Of all monarchs captured during the migration season, 80% were captured while nectaring and 10% while roosting. Others were basking, resting, flying and even mating. The sex ratio was male biased by three to one in all behavior categories except those captured mating. Roosting and nectaring monarchs had fresher wings than those in other behavior categories, suggesting that these are younger individuals. There were 13 observations of females ovipositing on non-native Asclepias curassavica during the fall months, which speaks to the potential for this plant to pull monarchs out of the migratory pool. Aside from these insights, this study also serves as an example of the potential that monarch tagging studies have to advance scientific understanding of monarch migration.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Altizer S, Davis AK (2010) Populations of monarch butterflies with different migratory behaviors show divergence in wing morphology. Evolution 64:1018–1028

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Altizer SM, Oberhauser K, Brower LP (2000) Associations between host migration and the prevalence of a protozoan parasite in natural populations of adult monarch butterflies. Ecol Entomol 25:125–139

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Altizer SM, Oberhauser K, Geurts KA (2004) Transmission of the protozoan parasite, Ophryocystis elektroscirrha, in monarch butterfly populations. In: Oberhauser K, Solensky M (eds) The monarch butterfly. Biology and conservation. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, pp 203–218

    Google Scholar 

  • Beall G (1948) The fat content of a butterfly, Danaus plexippus, as affected by migration. Ecology 29:80–94

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beck J (2008) Phylogenetic and ecological correlates with male adult life span of rainforest butterflies. Evol Ecol 22:507–517

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borland J, Johnson CC, Crumpton TW III, Thomas M, Altizer S, Oberhauser K (2004) Characteristics of fall migratory monarch butterflies, Danaus plexippus, in Minnesota and Texas. In: Oberhauser K, Solensky M (eds) The monarch butterfly, biology and conservation. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, pp 97–104

    Google Scholar 

  • Brindza L, Brower LP, Davis AK, Van Hook T (2008) Comparative success of monarch butterfly migration to overwintering sites in Mexico from inland and coastal sites in Virginia. J Lepid Soc 62:189–200

    Google Scholar 

  • Brower LP, Fink LS, Walford P (2006) Fueling the fall migration of the monarch butterfly. Integr Comp Biol 46:1123–1142

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown JJ, Chippendale GM (1974) Migration of the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus: energy sources. J Insect Physiol 20:1117–1130

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Calvert WH, Brower LP (1986) The location of monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus L.) overwintering colonies in Mexico in relation to topography and climate. J Lepid Soc 40:164–187

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis AK, Garland MS (2004) Stopover ecology of monarchs in coastal Virginia: using ornithological methods to study monarch migration. In: Oberhauser K, Solensky M (eds) The monarch butterfly. Biology and conservation. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, pp 89–96

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis AK, Rendon-Salinas E (2010) Are female monarch butterflies declining in eastern North America? Evidence of a 30-year change in sex ratios at Mexican overwintering sites. Biol Lett 6:45–47

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dockx C, Brower LP, Wassenaar LI, Hobson KA (2004) Do North American monarch butterflies travel to Cuba? Stable isotope and chemical tracer techniques. Ecol Appl 14:1106–1114

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garland MS, Davis AK (2002) An examination of monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) autumn migration in coastal Virginia. Am Midl Nat 147:170–174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gibbs D, Walton R, Brower L, Davis AK (2006) Monarch butterfly (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae) migration monitoring at Chincoteague, VA and Cape May, NJ: a comparison of long-term trends. J Kansas Entomol Soc 79:156–164

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gibo DL, McCurdy JA (1993) Lipid accumulation by monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus L.). Can J Zool 71:76–82

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Herman WS (1985) Hormonally mediated events in adult monarch butterflies. In Rankin MA (ed) Migration: mechanisms and adaptive significance. Contibutions to Marine Science 27 (suppl.): 799–815

  • Herman WS (1988) Body weight and wing length changes in Minnesota populations of the monarch butterfly. J Lepid Soc 42:32–36

    Google Scholar 

  • Howard E, Davis AK (2004) Documenting the spring movements of monarch butterflies with Journey North, a citizen science program. In: Oberhauser K, Solensky M (eds) The monarch butterfly. Biology and conservation. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, pp 105–114

    Google Scholar 

  • Howard E, Davis AK (2009) The fall migration flyways of monarch butterflies in eastern North America revealed by citizen scientists. J Insect Conserv 13:279–286

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Howard E, Aschen H, Davis AK (In Press). Citizen science observations of monarch butterfly overwintering in the southern United States. Psyche

  • Knight A, Brower LP (2009) The influence of eastern North American autumnal migrant monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus L.) on continuously breeding resident monarch populations in southern Florida. J Chem Ecol 35:816–823

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Malcolm SB, Zalucki MP (1993) Biology and conservation of the monarch butterfly. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

  • MonarchLab Website (2008) Vital statistics: wing condition scoring. http://www.monarchlab.org/research/VS/measure2.html. Accessed October 2, 2008

  • MonarchWatch (2008) MonarchWatch http://monarchwatch.org/. Accessed Oct 20, 2009

  • Oberhauser K, Solensky M (2004) The monarch butterfly. Biology and conservation. Cornell University Press, Ithaca

    Google Scholar 

  • Statistica (2003) Statistica version 6.1, Statsoft Inc

  • Urquhart FA (1960) The monarch butterfly. Univ. Toronto Press, Toronto

    Google Scholar 

  • Urquhart FA, Urquhart NR (1979) Breeding areas and overnight roosting locations in the northern range of the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus plexippus) with a summary of associated migratory routes. Can Field Nat 93:41–47

    Google Scholar 

  • Walton RK, Brower LP, Davis AK (2005) Long-term monitoring and fall migration patterns of the monarch butterfly (Nymphalidae: Danainae) in Cape May, NJ. Ann Entomol Soc Am 98:682–689

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams CB, Cockbill GF, Gibbs ME, Downes JA (1942) Studies in the migration of lepidoptera. Trans R Entomol Soc Lond 92:102–281

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

A number of people participated with capturing and tagging monarchs for this project. The most significant contributors were past and present employees of the Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission (CCPRC), Marvin Bouknight, Billy Drakeford, Brad Jaynes and Keith McCullough. During several years, CCPRC was very helpful in the purchase of tags from Monarch Watch. Financial and logistic support for the field work was provided in some years by the South Carolina Dept. of Natural Resources (SCDNR), for which specific gratitude is expressed to David Whitaker, Assistant Deputy Director for Marine Resources, SCDNR. The principal author is also grateful for the inspiration provided by hundreds of elementary and kindergarten students in the Charleston area, and most notably students and teachers at Stiles Point Elementary School, James Island, SC, for their participation in the release of many hundreds of tagged monarchs. We thank Sean Sterrett for assistance with the figures for the manuscript. AKD was supported by the Morris Animal Foundation while preparing the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, PO Box 12559, Charleston, SC, 29422, USA

    John W. McCord

  2. Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

    Andrew K. Davis

Authors
  1. John W. McCord
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Andrew K. Davis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Andrew K. Davis.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

McCord, J.W., Davis, A.K. Biological Observations of Monarch Butterfly Behavior at a Migratory Stopover Site: Results from a Long-term Tagging Study in Coastal South Carolina. J Insect Behav 23, 405–418 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-010-9224-x

Download citation

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10905-010-9224-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation