SC-L26 The Long Flight

The Long Flight by Mia Lewis

The Monarch's Migration

It is late August on the border of Canada and the United States. A **gorgeous** monarch butterfly has just **struggled** out of its chrysalis. This butterfly is different from its parents and grandparents. It will not lay eggs right away like most females. It will live much longer than the monarchs that were born earlier in the summer.

This butterfly will make an amazing journey. So will millions just like it. They will make their way to winter homes in Mexico and southern California.

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The monarch will fly high. It may fly almost two miles up in the sky. Its wings will beat from five to twelve times every second. It will fly thousands of miles to a place it has never seen.

Soon millions of monarchs will be in the air. A monarch usually lives alone. Now it travels with a large group of other monarchs. They will sip nectar from flowers along the way. This gives them the energy they need for the long trip.

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Life Stages of the Monarch

All monarch butterflies go through four stages. First, the mother butterfly lays an egg on a milkweed plant. Then a caterpillar hatches from the egg. The caterpillar is very hungry. It eats the egg case. Then it eats leaves from the milkweed plant. This helps it to build up fat for energy.

The monarch also eats milkweed to protect itself. These leaves are poisonous to most animals. They will stay away from a butterfly that has eaten a lot of this plant!

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The caterpillar makes a chrysalis. Inside, it **gradually** changes. Finally, a butterfly crawls out! It rests. It waits for its wings to dry. When they are dry, the monarch will be able to fly. All monarchs are orange and black. They all look very similar. But they are not **identical**.

Shorter days and cooler weather tell the monarch it is time to leave. It sets off on its long flight. Scientists do not know how it can tell where to go. They think it might use the position of the sun to help it figure out which direction to go.

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Flying South

The distance to the monarch’s winter grounds can be as long as three thousand miles. Wind or weather can take the butterfly out of its way, too. The monarch stops flying if the wind is too strong. It stops if it is raining or too hot.

The journey takes about two months. When the monarch finally arrives, there will be millions of other butterflies there. Each year the monarchs return to the same exact trees. They huddle together on the branches to keep warm.

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Flying Back Home

Thousands and thousands of monarchs crowd together through the winter. Spring finally arrives. The monarch gets ready for the journey home. It will not make it all the way back, though. It will die along the way.

The monarch lays eggs before it dies. These eggs will hatch. The offspring will go through all the same stages and become butterflies. Then they will continue the long trip back to their summer home.

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Monarchs in Danger

The pattern will begin again. Summer will come and go. Several sets of monarchs will live their lives. Then autumn will draw near. The last monarchs of summer will get ready for their trip.

Today, monarchs face new dangers. Human activities are **disturbing** their way of life. There aren't enough safe places left for them anymore. Even their winter resting spots are in danger because trees there are being cut down. Scientists want to protect forests in these areas. That will help the butterflies.

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