This Monarch butterfly was among a group feasting on the nectar of flowers in Minneota before they begin to migrate to Mexico.

Monarchs preparing for winter months in Mexico

Monarchs have been seen in large groups the past few days in Minneota, meaning they are en route to Mexico where they migrate to each fall to spend the winter months.
The Monarch is the only butterfly in North America that actually migrates in the fall to a warmer climate.
Late August and early September are regarded as the best time to see Monarchs in Minnesota.
Monarchs are totally dependent on the milkweed plant, All Monarch eggs are laid on milkweed plants, and after the newly-hatched Monarch larvae eat the egg they were laid in, the young caterpillars begin consuming the milkweed leaves.
The caterpillars continue to feast on the milkweed plants until they are approximately two inches in length, in which they begin for form a chrysalis that is attached to a twig or leaf.
Once the Monarch emerges from the chrysalis, it begins to eat nectar from flowers. The Department of Natural Resources urge people to utilize their back yards to grow flower gardens in order to help the Monarchs survive.
Monarchs only lives a few weeks, but go through the reproduction cycle as many as four times in a summer. The last generation of Monarchs that are born during the summer after different than the others that were born. This final group are generally born in late August as the days get shorter and temperatures begin to cool. These changes prevent the Monarchs from maturing enough to reproduce, allowing them to live for up to nine months.
The Monarchs fly over 3,000 miles to the Sierra Madre mountains just west of Mexico City. They travel the same route each fall and scientists believe they use the position of the sun to let them know when to migrate and also to guide them on their journey.
The Monarchs that survive the winter in Mexico begin migrating back to the United States in the spring.
As they travel, they mate along the way and locate milkweed plants to lay their eggs.
When these eggs hatch, the turn into butterflies and continue migrating north.

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