Monarch butterflies on their way to Corpus Christi

Look for clouds of dust moving through the air sometime in the next few weeks and you’ll know the monarchs are passing through, says Billy Feamster, facilities manager and butterfly lover at South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. 
“When you focus on what looks like dust, you’ll notice it’s butterflies moving in a southern direction,” he said. “Mostly it’s monarchs, but a few other species migrate, too. You’ll see the dust flutter.”
Usually, the peak migration route through Corpus Christ happens between mid to the late October. Texas Parks and Wildlife set the peak period for this year at Oct. 15-27. Unusually warm weather for this time of year has delayed flights, says Feamster.
“The butterfly calendars are so small they can’t really depend on them,” said Feamster wryly. “They wait for the weather to tell them what to do.”
What the monarchs need is a cold front or two to boost their sense of urgency for the push to Mexico, where they spend the winter. Sometime in the spring, warming temperatures will prod the insects back north to their breeding grounds.
Breeding isn’t restricted to northern climes in summer temperatures, however. It actually takes three to four generations of butterflies to make the trek south, and two to three generations to head back home. 
Along the way, they need food to eat and places to lay eggs. Caterpillars are born needing their own kind of food and a safe habitat to build cocoons. As pre-pubescent butterflies emerge from their silken confines, they stretch and dry delicate orange and black wings, immediately preparing to continue their journey and their species. The new generation refuels and breeds along the way, preparing for another group of youngsters to take to the skies.
The number of butterflies migrating has dropped significantly over the years, said Feamster, mostly due to loss of habitat and food supply.
“More pesticides and herbicides are being used all the time,” he said. “Pesticides affects the insects themselves, while the herbicides affect their food source. Some pesticides make the nectar of the flowers toxic, so that’s a blow, too.”
Just as humans affect butterfly food supply, the insects are key in our own supply. 
"When they go around from flower to flower, they collect pollen," Feamster explained. "They help plants produce seeds and produce the next generation of plants. also fruits and vegetable. Farmers and ag people love these animals, because they help insure they get a good crop."
The only way to help is to keep wild areas wild and cultivate native and host plants along migration routes.
Monarchs travel along two main routes, both of which cross Texas, the only state that all butterflies must cross to make it to their wintering grounds in the mountains of Mexico. One route stretches from Wichita Falls to Eagle Pass and usually begins in September and ends by the third week of October. Citizen monitors have reported monarch swarms in West Texas. Some have even crossed the border to Mexico already. 
According to Monarch Migration News, some 6,000 to 10,000 monarchs per hour were seen in places like Leakey and Jayton, still hours away from Corpus Christi. 
To follow the Monarch journey, visit the Monarch Butterfly Journey North website, where you can also find out about how to download an app and get involved in recording and reporting butterfly sightings.