Luis Fueyo, head of México’s nature reserves, said the first Monarch butterflies of the season have been seen entering México earlier than usual this year. He said the first butterflies have been sighted in the border state of Coahuila. Most Monarch butterflies normally arrive in October from the United States and Canada, he said.
Fueyo added that it was too early to say whether the number of butterflies will rebound, but said “this premature presence could be the prelude to an increase in the migration.” He said authorities will wait to make a definitive count after the butterflies have settled in completely, something that usually occurs by December.
In February of this year, México, the United States and Canada agreed to form working groups on the conservation of Monarch butterflies, after the steep and steady declines that have been seen in the previous three years. Enrique Lendo Fuentes, the head of international affairs for México’s Environment Department, said the three nations “will probably have a joint plan of action before the end of November.”
In the 2013-2014 season, the Monarch butterflies covered only 1.65 acres (0.67 hectares) in the pine and fir forests west of México City, down from more than 44.5 acres (18 hectares) at their recorded peak in 1996.
(from The News)
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