Clumsily, like any newborn, it maneuvers itself to a perch so that it can hang its limp, watery wings free and pump them full of fluid stored in its abdomen. Life spans vary, depending on the time of the year. The generation that migrates to Mexico and back to the southern United States lives at least eight months. The spring and summer generations live only four to six weeks, depending on the ambient temperatures at which they develop. Situated between the principal breeding grounds in the north and the overwintering area in Mexico, Texas is perhaps the most important state in the migration.
Monarchs funnel through Texas both in the fall and the spring.
The Texas Monarch Watch has been following the Monarch migration for the past three years. We have learned that Monarchs make their way through Texas along two discrete pathways. One pathway traverses Texas through its center. By the fourth week of October, most of them have passed through into Coahuila, Mexico. The migratory pathway very much depends on the winds and will meander some from year to year, depending on wind velocity and direction.