TEXAS -- Monarch butterflies are starting to migrate north, and they are set to make a dramatic comeback through Texas. The species has been declining in recent years, but experts say there will be a surge this spring.
- Robust monarch butterfly migration anticipated this year
- Stop in Texas en route to Canada
- Species in decline and may be designated endangered
Texas A&M University researchers estimate a 144 percent increase in the number of monarch butterflies. It would mean a total of 300 million monarchs flying through Texas. Experts said there is a large supply of milkweed in Central and South Texas, thanks in part to conservation efforts in the community. Monarchs lay their eggs on milkweed, because caterpillars only eat milkweed, as multiple generations of monarchs stop by Texas as they make their way to Canada.
“Their first round of reproduction happens usually in Texas, which is why it's really important to have host plants in our area as well as nectar,” said park ranger Melissa Hand.
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Hand manages the wildlife habitat at the Park Ranger Station in Zilker Park. She selects the plants that grow there, with a focus on creating diversity, as well as growing plants that are native to Texas. Hand said native plants usually require less care. Recently, she planted seeds of native milkweeds. Hand also maintains the wildflower meadow, by weeding out other species that tend to take up space. Adult monarchs rely on nectar-rich plants as a food source.
“It's just really important for them to be able to get the food that they need and have the space to reproduce to keep their numbers high, because migration is very hard on monarchs and the majority of their population is lost during migration,” Hand said.
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Experts caution though that while this year monarch butterfly numbers are positive, there is no guarantee it will continue. According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the number of monarch butterflies has decreased significantly in the past two decades, and the agency will decide by June to determine whether the species requires federal protection as an endangered species.
Conservationists are encouraging people to plant milkweed and nectar-rich flowers to help ensure successful monarch migrations.
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“Without pollinators most of our food would not exist unless we pollinated it ourselves. It's very labor intensive to have to go by hand and pollinate things, and so pollinators do that for us,” Hand said. “It's kind of a symbiotic relationship. As we pay more attention to our native pollinators, such as monarchs or mason bees, by helping them out, we're really helping ourselves out as well.”