Monarch Butterfly in Algarve

Whilst Mexico might be a huge attraction for enthusiasts looking to find the Monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus, Europeans  don't need to travel any further than Algarve. In recent years the Monarch has taken up residence there and breeds quite freely. Now the whole life cycle of this beautiful butterfly can be observed at the right time of the year.

Apart from climatic conditions which are clearly suitable, the first essential is the presence of a suitable plant from the milkweed family, Asclepiadaceae. Here in Algarve it is the erect, shrubby bristle-fruited silkweed, Gomphocarpus fruticosus which seems at it best in damp places growing alongside water. It is easily recognised by the large pods abundantly covered with bristles. These follow the pendulous flowers seen over the winter months and are present for the rest of the year, often remaining on the shrub even after shedding their silky seed

Around Christmas is a good time to visit. The picture of the butterfly on Deric's hand was taken in December. This particular monarch butterfly became visitor-friendly, after crawling around Deric's hat for a time in decided to explore some skin! At this time there are usually plenty of caterpillars in evidence. Looking carefully, it is sometimes possible to find the greenish eggs of this beautiful butterfly beneath the leaves of the milkweed. A larva develops in the egg and eventually chews its way out. Its first meal is the remains of the egg itself. It then enjoys its kind host, the milkweed itself, nibbling away constantly at the leaves. As it grows it sheds skins, eating the old skins of course, and undergoes several moults until it is ready to pupate. When it has reached the final stage, the larva finds itself a suitable place to pupate. This may be on a stout stem of the plant itself or it may crawl away to some other secure place. The picture left here shows a caterpillar which has found shelter beneath a stone in a wall adjacent to a milkweed plant. The first thing the caterpillar does now is to weave a silk mat to attach itself and then assumes this J-shape. Now a final moult takes place and the larva becomes a green lantern-like pupa. Totally immobile, bodily changes are taking place within the pupa and around a week later a new butterfly will emerge. A newly emerged butterfly will not be able to fly for a couple of hours, until its wings have stretched and hardened. The photographs of the J-shaped caterpillar and the pupa were taken in February. By late March there were only old translucent pupa shells to be seen and lots of butterflies.

Where to find the best sites?

The best advice is to buy a copy of the 'Landscapes of Algarve', 5th ed 2007, published by Sunflower Books in the UK and by Hunter Publishing Inc in the USA. ISBN 978-1-85691-334-8. It can be bought directly from Sunflower Books or Amazon.

Walks 8 & 9 both lead through monarch butterfly sites. Walk 8 is easy level walking alongside a watercourse (levada) and is a 5 miles (8 Km) long circuit. Walk 9, another circuit about the same length, has some hills but remains a fairly easy walk. Don't even look for monarchs on this walk until you reach the levada towards the end.

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