Monarch butterflies are the only butterfly species known to make a two-way migration, traveling both north and south each year. During this journey, the monarch butterfly flies through Arkansas, making it a great place to spot these magnificent creatures. Here’s where, when, and how to spot monarch butterflies in Arkansas this year.
Milkweed attracts monarch butterflies and is a food source for their larvae.
©iStock.com/mzurawski
When to Spot Monarch Butterflies in Arkansas
Arkansas is a great place to spot monarch butterflies as it falls directly in their migration path! While monarch butterflies travel through Arkansas in both the spring (late March to April) and the fall (mid-October), both seasons offer excellent opportunities for spotting these butterflies. Monarch butterflies cannot survive the cold winter months in most of the United States. Therefore, they migrate to overwintering sites in central Mexico (and some in coastal California) where they can survive until spring.
As the summer months start to end in the northern United States, the butterflies start to migrate south, passing right through Arkansas along the way. The group of monarchs that travels south is known as the ‘super generation.’ Unlike other generations, they do not reproduce and rarely rest. This lifespan is a stark contrast to the usual 2-6 weeks that adult monarchs live.
While fall is a great time to spot the super generation butterflies, spring also offers excellent opportunities. After the super generation passes through Arkansas in the fall, newer generations migrate back north in the spring. As monarchs migrate north in the spring, they reproduce along the way. Arkansas is located in the middle of the monarchs’ breeding area, so many stop in the state to lay eggs and raise a new generation. These new butterflies then continue the journey to the northeastern United States. While adult monarchs are most commonly seen in the fall, in the spring, you can observe the entire monarch life cycle.
Where to Spot Monarch Butterflies
There are a few great places to go monarch spotting in Arkansas. The first is at Mount Magazine, recommended by the Arkansas State Parks website itself. As a state park, Mount Magazine has a diverse ecosystem of protected plant and animal species. The flowers provide a great place for the butterflies to refuel on their journey south in the fall. When it gets dark, the monarchs cluster together in the trees. This is perfect to watch on a camping trip! Volunteers and park interpreters tag the butterflies to track them, with some flying over 1,000 miles down to Mexico. Mount Magazine’s biodiversity and human support make it a great place to watch the migrating monarchs.
Another excellent place to observe monarchs is the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks in Fayetteville, Arkansas, which is a registered Monarch Waystation. Monarch Waystations are locations that offer the necessary resources for monarchs to reproduce and raise a new generation. This botanical garden offers resources such as milkweed plants. Milkweed plants are poisonous to humans and other insects, but safe for monarchs and their larvae. There is no single right way to go monarch butterfly spotting, but respecting the butterflies and their habitat is always essential. With a large population of milkweeds, this botanical garden is the perfect place for you to go on a butterfly watching trip. Both locations are around just a few hours from Little Rock, making them a perfect day trip or overnight trip!
Monarch butterflies travel together on their long migrations.
©Kate Besler/Shutterstock.com
What Plants Monarch Butterflies Like
Monarch caterpillars feed exclusively on milkweed, while adult monarch butterflies feed on nectar from a variety of flowers, including but not limited to milkweed. Milkweeds produce toxins called cardenolides and cardiac glycosides. These toxins are dangerous to organisms that eat them, but not to monarchs. The ingestion of these toxins is what makes monarchs poisonous, one of their defense mechanisms. Monarch Waystations are encouraged to plant milkweed to support the butterflies during their migrations.
What’s Needed in Spotting
Butterfly watching is a fun activity for anyone as it doesn’t require any special tools or talent, but there are some tips that can help you get the most out of your experience. It is important to respect the monarchs and their habitats. Therefore, having a pair of binoculars to watch the butterflies from afar is ideal. Some butterfly watchers recommend bringing a notebook to jot down notes or sketches while observing the butterflies. These can serve as great souvenirs from your butterfly-watching experience. Using a phone or a professional camera can help you preserve these memories. There is no single right way to go monarch butterfly spotting, but respecting the butterflies and their habitat is always essential.
The post How to See Monarch Butterflies in Arkansas During Their Migration appeared first on A-Z Animals.
