EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


Fuel for a Far-fetched Flight

October 15, 2020

Monarch female on blue aster

Photographer: Rob Sheridan
Summary Author: Rob Sheridan

The multigenerational migration of the monarch remains one of the
most wonderful and astounding mysteries of the insect world. During any
given year, the first generation of late spring emerges from their
chrysalis in central Mexico and flutters north. No single
generation can do the long northerly migration, but generation by
generation they progressively head north, feeding and laying
eggs on milkweeds, each adult living only about 6 weeks, for 4
or 5 generations. In the late summer, the season’s final generation is
born and begins the long flight home to warmer overwintering areas.
This final migratory generation lives far longer than prior generations
(up to 6 months) and completes the entire flight home from the northern
range. Many fall to predators and lack of fuel. Certain specific
late-season flowering plants feed them along their arduous journey.
Prominent among these in the northeast United States is the New
England blue aster ( Symphyotrichum novae-angliae), a late summer
and fall bloomer rich with nectar, favored by the final generation
of monarch-athletes. Shown here is one such migratory generation
monarch fueling up on a blue aster, preparing to continue the long
journey home.

Photo Details: Camera Apple iPhone 8; Software Windows Photo Editor
10.0.1; Exposure Time 0.0007s (1/1412); Aperture ƒ/1.8; ISO equivalent
20; Focal Length (35mm) 28
* Squantum, Massachusetts Coordinates: 42.300931, -71.010375

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More...

Animal Links

* Animal Diversity Web
* ARKive
* BirdLife International
* Bug Guide
* Discover Life
* Integrated Taxonomic Information System
* Microbial Life Resources
Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the
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Universities Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu

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