Survey of Overwintering Monarch Butterflies in the Florida Panhandle and Eastern Alabama
Ilse Gebhard and Russ Schipper
Introduction:
Intrigued by reports of large numbers of monarchs
found along the Atlantic coast of South Carolina and the
northern Gulf of Mexico coast from Florida to
Louisiana during the winter of 2011-2012, we decided
to make our March 1-15 escape from Michigan winter
one of “Butterflying with a Purpose”.
Results Continued
• While variety of herbaceous and woody plants
were in bloom, the sprawling, low-growing,
non-native Black Medick (Medicago lupulina)
was largely present and probably is a major
nectar source for monarchs at this time of year.
Figure 1. Monitoring locations
Questions
• How many monarchs could we find between St.
Marks NWR in the eastern Florida panhandle to
Alabama east of Mobile Bay?
• Where are they?
• What habitats are they using?
• What nectar plants are available?
• Are they worn fall migrants or fresh offspring?
• Is there milkweed available for reproduction?
• What is their behavior?
Methods
• We surveyed by car along roads and two-tracks
and on foot along two-tracks and trails.
• We spent most of our time surveying within a
mile or two of the coast but some time was
spent 30-40 miles inland.
• We surveyed a variety of habitats from
roadsides, to natural areas, to residential areas.
• A GPS point was taken for each monarch found.
Table 1. Western Panhandle and Eastern Alabama
Date
Monarchs
On Foot
By Car
Florida
3/12
Grayton Beach SP
0
3/13
Tarkiln Bayou Preserve SP
1
x
x
3/2
34
x
3/2
St. Joseph Peninsula SP (St.Joe)
1
x
3/3
St. Joseph Peninsula SP
0
3/3
Port St. Joe
0
3/4
St. Joe Bay Preserve, Deal Tract, St. Joe Penin.
1
x
x
x
3/13
Big Lagoon SP
1
x
3/4
St. Joe Peninsula SP, Maritime Hammock Trail
0
x
3/13
Gulf Islands Nat’l Seashore
1
x
3/4/
St. Joe Peninsula SP, Bayside Nature Trail
0
x
3/13
Perdido Key State Preserve
0
x
3/5
St. Joe Bay Buffer Preserve, Main Gate Trails
4
x
3/6
St. George Island SP
2
x
3/6
Apalachicola
7
x
3/6
Hwy 30A, east end
2
x
3/7
St. Joe Peninsula (south of SP)
1
x
3/7
Port St. Joe
0
x
3/7
St. Joe Bay Buffer Pres, Isl. Gate Trails, Hwy 30A
4
3/8
Eastpoint
3
x
3/8
Apalachicola
1
x
3/8
Sopchoppy
1
3/9
St. Marks NWR, Main Unit
0
3/9
Tallahassee
0
3/10
Tallahassee
0
x
3/10
St. Marks NWR, Panacea North Unit
2
x
3/10
Panacea
2
x
3/10
St. Marks NWR, Panacea South Unit
2
x
3/10
Hyw 98, Panacea/Medart
1
x
3/10
Crawfordville
0
x
3/10
Bradwell Bay Wilderness, Apalachicola NF
1
x
3/10
Sopchoppy
1
x
3/10
Hwy 319, south of Ochlockonee SP
1
x
3/10
Hwy 98, St. Teresa Beach area
3
x
3/10
East end of Alligator Pt. Peninsula
1
x
3/10
West end of Alligator Pt. Peninsula
4
x
3/10
Hwy 98, between Panacea & Ochlockonee Bay
1
x
3/11
Tallahassee
0
x
3/11
St. Marks NWR, Main Unit
1
x
3/11
Town of St. Marks
1
x
3/13
3/14
Results
• A total of 89 Monarchs were found during 13 days
of surveying. See Tables 1 and 2.
• All but 3 monarchs were found within 2 miles of
the coast, where the Gulf of Mexico moderates the
climate in winter. See Map.
• Monarchs were found in all habitats surveyed but
the typical pine/palmetto/shrub vegetation native
to this area was always nearby.
Location
Table 2. Eastern Panhandle
St. Vincent Island NWR
Gulf Beach Heights
residential area
Pensacola Naval Air Station
0
x
0
x
Alabama
3/14
Fort Morgan SP
3
x
3/14
Bon Secour NWR
0
x
3/14
Cty Rd 12, Baldwin County
1
3/14
Weeks Bay Nat’l Estuarine
Preserve
0
Total
x
x
x
7
Acknowledgements: We thank Dr. Karen
Oberhauser, University of Minnesota, for
encouragement and help; Kelly Nail,
University of Minnesota, for the map; the staff
at St. Vincent NWR for providing access to and
a motorized tour of St. Vincent Island; Lois
Swoboda, The Times of Apalachicola and
Carrabelle, for the photo of the monarch larva
on Tropical Milkweed.
Total
82
• Most monarchs appeared fresh or with only
small amounts of wear, possibly indicating that
they were offspring from 2011 fall migrants
that had not continued on to Mexico. The few
faded or worn individuals could be surviving
2011 fall migrants or their offspring with wear
and tear not totally abnormal for 4-6 week old
individuals seen in mid-summer in Michigan.
We conclude that none of the monarchs that we
saw were remigrants from Mexico.
x
x
x
x
x
• We looked for milkweeds as we surveyed for
butterflies on foot but did not find any. The
native milkweeds were likely not up yet and any
non-native Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias
curassavica) may have been eaten by monarch
larvae or died back by frost.
Monarch larva on a cultivar
of Tropical Milkweed
on 12/24/11 at Apalachicola
• Migrating monarchs fly in a sustained direction
and in the Florida panhandle the expected
direction would be north. We looked for, but did
not observe sustained directional flight.