[chris]

In May this year, I started keeping a record of the monarchs I released. I send my release numbers to Dr Myron Zalucki, entomologist in Queensland who is interested in recording the sex of the monarch and how big – ie. 50 mm or under. I am definitely getting more female monarchs than males. It might be interesting if others took notes for our Trust and if they would like to email me the month statistics, I would send on to Myron . It could be interesting for us to know the statistics of male/female being released also.

[Jacqui]

Hi Gillian,

The male Monarch has a black dot on each of his hindwings (the lower ones). These are scent patches. You can see a picture here:

http://www.monarchwatch.org/biology/sexing.htm

Cheers

Jacqui

[Anonymous]

It has been such a pleasure to see 8 of “my” butterflies take to the air this past week, but I don’t know how to tell males from females. Can someone explain please. I saw 2 presumably mating in flight to-day, one seemed larger than the other. I also didn’t know that monarchs take nectar from agapanthus flowers till I saw a couple on my daughter’s plant recently.

[Gilly]

Pam…. can you email me on paws.for.thought@xtra.co.nz please and I will you how the entomologist told me to measure wingspan etc.

[Anonymous]

Haven’t had a reply from Gill yet on how to measure wings, but I measure them from the part furtherest away from their head to the wing tip . As butterflys don’t keep still I found it easier to do it with the wings together and double the figure.
I also tried measuring the length of caterpillars as well. This technique needs a lot of refining as to really get the growth rate I would have to put them into separate labled containers to estimate how fast they grow and time the hatching of the crysalis.

Pam

[Discovery Team]

Hi Pam,

Good on you! This is Jacqui but not at home, so had to register again as I didn’t have my password.

I suggest that you contact Gill to tell her you’re keen to measure and record details, as there’s a scientific way of measuring the wings, and Gill can tell you all about it.

[Anonymous]

yesterday, I pulled a very wet monarch female out of the drink thinking it had died as it’s wings were together. After placing it on a bush with it’s wings outstretched hoped maybe it could dry out and fly. well in the afternoon it disappeared from where I put it and searched for it. Later I found a live female around the same size that looked like it’s wings had wet blotches over it. So took it inside. the wings measured 9 cm and today it flew away a healthy female.

[Anonymous]

found a male today with a 10cm wingspan and another male with a 12 cm wingspan.

[Anonymous]

On Thursday released a male monarch with a 10cm wingspan
Pam

[Anonymous]

In November I released 11 butterflies to my knowledge. More males than females. Since then I have released a male and a female.
I will measure the wings from now on.
Pam

[Author]

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