TEXAS – Monarch butterflies may be small, but in large numbers, they're mighty. Every October, monarch butterflies flutter through Texas on their way to Mexico as part of their 3,000-mile, bi-annual journey.
- Monarch butterflies migrate thousands of miles
- Currently passing through Texas, heading south
"We get really excited when the monarchs come around,” said Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s Lee Clippard. “You know, everyone's talking about it on the radio and we're texting each other like, 'The monarchs are here! The monarchs are here!’"
These butterflies are always a welcome sight at the Wildflower Center, a final burst of color before winter takes hold. But lately, Clippard said not many of them have been stopping by.
"Monarchs are in decline. They used to be numbered in the billions, but they're now down to the millions,” he said. “That is the case, unfortunately, with a lot of our pollinators."
Many factors are to blame. One of them is climate change. Experts say it is pushing monarch butterflies to fly farther than usual.
"The population that we have that comes through Texas goes up to the northeast area. It may be that they'll have to move further north for their reproduction to occur that it normally does," said Texas AgriLife Extension’s Wizzie Brown.
When monarchs’ spring destination shifts north, their fall journey south will take even longer. Brown then refers to a recent study that shows how this change affects the butterflies’ appearance.
"He's measured the wingspan of the monarch butterflies in collections and stuff like that. It actually shows that the monarch's wingspan has increased over time," she said.
Bigger wings potentially allow the insects to fly longer distances.
While it'll take a global effort to slow the effects of climate change, Clippard says the least you can do is make their journey a little bit easier.
"Just carve out a little part of your yard and plant some nectar plants and support monarchs very easily,” Clippard suggested. “It just takes one plant."
According to U.S. Fish and Wildlife, Texas isn't the only place monarch butterflies journey through on their way to Mexico. They also stop in Florida, Kansas, Virginia, and Iowa.