The couple I saw on the Scillies during the 80s in October were always assumed to have been blown over (ship assisted or not) from North America during their migration south, I think mainly to Mexico.
Well nobody mentioned escapee thankfully, but I suppose that always has to be considered as I have seen them rarely in PiliPalas for example. I was chatting to an old entomologist at the Monarch twitch who felt it may have been from the Canary/Madera population. He did say those individuals tend to be smaller than the American ones.However he got confused over it's sex so I don't know how good he was? (It's a male as it has that oval black bulge on one of the veins on the hindwing). However I'm sure sizes can vary considerably. I don't know if the Canary population is migratory? As it turned up in the SW of the UK in the autumn around hurricane season I would feel it has good credentials for a true North American trans-Atlantic vagrant!There was one at Flamborough also this week.
There's a few butterfly and moth shots on here that may be of interest.
ReplyDeleteWhere would the monarch be from most likely?
DeleteThe couple I saw on the Scillies during the 80s in October were always assumed to have been blown over (ship assisted or not) from North America during their migration south, I think mainly to Mexico.
ReplyDeleteWell nobody mentioned escapee thankfully, but I suppose that always has to be considered as I have seen them rarely in PiliPalas for example. I was chatting to an old entomologist at the Monarch twitch who felt it may have been from the Canary/Madera population. He did say those individuals tend to be smaller than the American ones.However he got confused over it's sex so I don't know how good he was? (It's a male as it has that oval black bulge on one of the veins on the hindwing). However I'm sure sizes can vary considerably. I don't know if the Canary population is migratory? As it turned up in the SW of the UK in the autumn around hurricane season I would feel it has good credentials for a true North American trans-Atlantic vagrant!There was one at Flamborough also this week.
ReplyDelete