My tag was recovered...Yay!

[dandjtaylor]

One of my 2010 tags has finally shown up in the database. NEJ699 was released on 09/07/10 and found on 03/05/12 in Pelon, MX by Melchiares Moreno. She made it all the way from Salem, MA, almost 3000 miles. This is my first tag to ever be recovered in Mexico!

[Mona Miller]

Congratulations!!!!

[chanceychelsey]

Hi Dwayne,
Congratulations!

I am excited as well. I just checked the database tonight and found one of my Monarchs from 2010 was also recovered!! A male NAU119 released on Sept 6, 2010 and recovered in Piedra Herrada on Mar 12, 2011. He travelled 2081.6 miles !! My first recovery also.

[blazing star]

Whoa. How does an adult monarch live that long? Or did they just find the tag without a live butterfly?

Very cool!

[Mona Miller]

When they are in diapause they can live any where from 7 months to a year. Some make the round trip from Mexico back to the United States. There are studies that show some make it back to Canada. Dr. Urquhart used to tag them in Mexico and had a tagged picked up in NY.

[blazing star]

I didn't know that. I thought only the overwintering monarchs had a chance to live that long. Amazing creatures.

[Mona Miller]

I was talking about the overwintering Monarchs. They are the ones in diapause and also the ones that come back to the US to start the first generation. And, the ones that can live for 7-12 months. The breeding generation lives any where from 6-8 weeks.

[Paul Cherubini]

When they are in diapause they can live any where from 7 months to a year.

No monarch, tagged in the wild, has ever been know to live a year or even 10 months. 8-9 months max.