Science Reference Guides
Migration of the Monarch Butterfly
Science Reference Section
Science, Technology and Business Division
Library of Congress
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Photo Courtesy of Vincent Cavallo
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There are two main populations of monarch butterflies in North America; one in the East and one in the West--new evidence shows that these populations may intermix. Every fall, the monarch begins its migration south to an overwintering site. In the spring the monarch leaves its winter roost and heads northward, about half way back, to lay its eggs on milkweed plants. The offspring of this monarch must continue the journey north on its own. In the fall, this new generation will begin the migration cycle south. To learn more about these amazing creatures, this guide lists selected titles, journal articles and Web sites about monarch butterflies, conservation initiatives, and migration projects.
SELECTED TITLES: MONARCH BUTTERFLIES
Biology and conservation of the monarch butterfly. Edited by Stephen B. Malcolm and Myron P. Zalucki. Los Angeles, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 1993. 419 p. (Its Science series, no. 38)
QL561.D3B56 1993
Grace, Eric S. The world of the monarch butterfly. San Francisco, Sierra Club Books, c1997. 114 p.
QL561.D3G73 1997
Halpern, Sue. Four wings and a prayer: caught in the mystery of the monarch butterflies. New York, Pantheon Books, c2001. 212 p.
QL561.D3H35 2001
Monarch butterfly biology & conservation. Edited by Karen S. Oberhauser and Michelle J. Solensky. Ithaca, NY, Cornell University Press, 2004. 248 p.
QL561.D3M66 2004
Pyle, Robert Michael. Chasing monarchs: migrating with the butterflies of passage. Boston, Houghton Mifflin Co., 1999. 307 p.
QL561.D3P95 1999
Schappert, Phillip Joseph. The last monarch butterfly: conserving the monarch butterfly in a brave new world. Buffalo, NY, Firefly Books, c2004. 113 p.
QL561.D3S23 2004
Urquhart, Fred A. The monarch butterfly. Toronto, University of Toronto Press, 1960. 361 p.
QL561.N9U7
Urquhart, Fred A. The monarch butterfly: international traveler. Ellison Bay, WI, Wm Caxton, c1998. 232 p.
QL561.D3U78 1998
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SELECTED TITLES FOR YOUNGER READERS
Frost, Helen, and Leonid Gore. Monarch and milkweed. New York, Athenum Books for Young Readers, c2008. 1 v. (unpaged).
QL561.D3F75 2008
Harvey, Diane Kelsay, and Bob Harvery. Melody’s mystery = El misterio de Melodía. Wilsonville, OR, Beautiful America Pub. Co., c1991. 1 v. (unpaged).
QL561.D3H37 1991
Herberman, Ethan. The great butterfly hunt: the mystery of the migrating monarchs. New York, Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, c1990. 48 p.
QL561.D3H47 1990
Lasky, Kathryn. Monarchs. San Diego, Harcourt Brace & Co., c1993. 63 p.
QL561.D3L36 1993
Pringle, Laurence P. An extraordinary life: the story of a monarch butterfly. New York, Orchard Books, c1997. 64 p.
QL561.D3P75 1997
Rosenblatt, Lynn. Monarch magic! Butterfly activities & nature discoveries. Charlotte, VT, Williamson Pub., c1998.
96 p.
QL561.D3R668 1998
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REPRESENTATIVE JOURNAL ARTICLES
Brower, L. P. Understanding and misunderstanding the migration of the monarch butterfly (Nymphalidae) in North America 1857-1995. Journal of the Lepidopterists’ Society, v. 49, Dec. 1995: 304-385.
QL541.L45
Darrach, Brad. Millions of monarchs. Life, v. 16, Aug. 1993: 50-56.
AP2.L54715
Dingle, H., and others. Distribution of the monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus (L.) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae), in western North America. Biological journal of the Linnean Society, v. 85, Aug. 2005: 491-500.
QH1.L632a
Halpern, Sue M. A fragile kingdom. Audubon, v. 100, Mar. /Apr. 1998: 36-45, 99-101.
QL671.A82
Walton, R. K., and L. P. Brower. Monitoring the fall migration of the monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus (Nymphalidae: Danainae) in eastern North America: 1991-1994. Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society, v. 50, Jan. 1996: 1-20.
QL541.L45
Williams, Jennifer J., Douglas Stow, and Lincoln P. Brower. The influence of forest fragmentation on the location of overwintering monarch butterflies in Central Mexico. Journal of the Lepidopterists’ Society, v. 61, no. 2, 2007: 90-104.
QL541.L45
Zhu, Haisun, Amy Casselman, and Steven M. Reppert. Chasing migration genes: a brain expressed tag resource for summer migratory monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus). PLoS one, Jan. 09, 2008.
Published only online: http://www.plosone.org/home.action
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GENERAL INTERNET RESOURCES
Butterflies of North America
http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/
The Butterfly Website
http://butterflywebsite.com/
Children's Butterfly Site
http://www.kidsbutterfly.org/
Lepidopterists' Society
http://www.lepsoc.org/
North American Butterfly Association
http://www.naba.org/
Washington Area Butterfly Club: Serving the Northern Virginia,
District of Columbia, and Maryland Area
http://users.sitestar.net/butterfly/index.htm
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SELECTED INTERNET RESOURCES: CONSERVATION
Butterfly Conservation Initiative
http://www.butterflyrecovery.org/
Conservation Outpost: Mexico Monarch Program from the San Diego
Zoo
http://cres.sandiegozoo.org/projects/hc_monarch_butterfly.html
Michoacan Reforestation Fund and La Cruz Habitat Protection Project
http://michoacanmonarchs.org/
Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary Foundation
http://www.mbsf.org/
Monarch Larva Monitoring Project
http://www.mlmp.org/
Xerces Society: California Monarch Butterfly Conservation Campaign
http://www.xerces.org/Monarch_Butterfly_Conservation/index.htm
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SELECTED INTERNET RESOURCES: MONARCH MIGRATION PROJECTS
The Chincoteague Monarch Monitoring Project: Chincoteague National
Wildlife Refuge, Assateague, Virginia.
This monitoring project serves
the Mid-Atlantic Region.
http://mysite.verizon.net/robgibbs301/monarch.htm/
Journey North: Monarch Butterfly
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/monarch/index.html
Monarch Butterflies: University of Minnesota
http://www.monarchlab.umn.edu/
Monarch Migration Association of North America
http://www.mmana.org/
Monarch Monitoring Project: Cape May Point, New Jersey
http://rkwalton.com/mon.html
Monarch Program (San Diego)
http://www.monarchprogram.org
Monarch Watch
http://www.monarchwatch.org
Monarchs and Migration from the Science Museum of Minnesota
http://www.smm.org/sln/monarchs/top.html
Texas Monarch Project
http://www.rice.edu/armadillo/Ftbend/newfly.html
Texas Monarch Watch
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/learning/texas_nature_trackers/monarch/
Compiled by Jennifer Harbster October 1, 2008
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