It definitely has been a weird late spring and this year as the first butterfly I spotted was not the red admiral or the mourning cloak, but a monarch. Plus the bumble bees were out today, but they will not find this flower for several months yet so the few flowers that have opened will have lots of visitors.

Return of the Monarch 

There have been some unusual looking butterflies floating around lately as some of the monarchs are mating and are attached to each other as they fly around or rest on leaves. There are several generations in a year and the last generation will migrate south in the fall and return the next spring.

Mating Monarchs

The insects and butterflies were busy gathering nectar on the cooler but sunny day before the freezing temperatures kill the flower blossoms.

Monarch Butterfly Feeding

A pair of monarchs were floating around together while I was mowing and I suppose they have to hurry up and mate so there is a later generation which will migrate in the fall. Monarchs will remain together for several hours, sometimes as long as 16 hours, as they mate before the male releases the female so she can lay her eggs.

Monarchs Mating

Bugs, bees and butterflies were enjoying a dry day to collect nectar from the late summer flowers. This monarch butterfly was very intent on collecting from goldenrod, which provides a good nectar flow in late summer. Most adults monarchs only live for a few weeks, but the generation born as fall approaches hold off on reproducing and monarchs from this area will make the long migration to Mexico. These migrating monarchs will live for six to eight months before starting back north in the spring.

Monarch on Goldenrod

Love is in the air, or at least some butterflies are doing the mating dance, like these two monarchs attached to each other. During mating, if a female accepts a male, the male uses clasping organs on their abdomens to grasp female and go on a courtship flight which can last for several hours, even overnight.

Monarch Love