Late spring and summer of 2003 mark the first time we’ve compiled monarch records for publication on the internet. The summary below is based on our observations and the recollections of friends and neighbors. Note, too, that the information was collected by very few observers. We urge viewers with additional information to contact us. It's never too late to update our 2003 records.

When groups of these "small milkweed bugs" -- which are harmless -- show up on milkweed plants, summer is waning and it's migration time for monarchs.

FIRST MONARCH EGGS Galilee, PA.   6/14 – 6/15 (8 eggs near a cornfield) Honesdale, PA.   7/5 (12 eggs from parking lots.) * * * * * LAST EGG Milanville, PA.   8/31 (a single egg in the garden) FIRST CATERPILLAR Conklin Hill, PA.   7/5 (Very small) * * * * * LAST CATERPILLARS Beach Lake PA.   10/11 (A full grown one) Honesdale, PA.   10/18 (click for a picture) FIRST M0NARCHS OBSERVED Conklin Hill, PA.   6/26 & 6/28 Milanville, PA.   6/29 White Mills, PA.   7/2 "LATE BUTTERFLY," A POEM BY ALWYN MOSS click here

EARLY MIGRANT Near Indian Orchard, PA.   8/26 * * * * * LAST MIGRANTS Lake Huntington, NY. 10/31 (A lone butterfly flew south at the new high school, 1:00 p.m.) Milanville, PA.   11/3 (Three monarchs drifted south across the meadow between 12:10 p.m. and 12:27 p.m.) BUTTERFLY BARN 2003 DATA First reared monarch to hatch.  8/3 (Monarchs were late arriving. By 8/3, we’ve normally hatched dozens of monarchs.) Last reared monarch to hatch.  10/26 * * * * * Final reared monarchs were released on 11/3. (We fed nine late-hatching monarchs until they traveled south with friends who released them in North Carolina on 11/3) We rescued 320 monarch eggs and caterpillars from threatened habitats. Small caterpillars are by Max, a 7th grader in West Chester, PA. Caterpillars in the boxed spaces are by Max, a 2nd grader in Honesdale, PA. The small, many-colored butterflies are by Jenna, a middle schooler in Malvern, PA.