300 Million Monarch Butterflies Are Expected in Texas This Season — and Some Are Already in Dallas-Fort Worth

After spending the winter in Mexico, monarch butterflies are beginning to head north, and Texas could see a lot more of them this year than in the recent past.Texas A&M University researcher Craig Wilson said the number of monarchs this year appears to be up by as much as 144 percent. So far, the figures — typically measured in hectares — show the most area covered since at least 2006, Wilson told the university.The monarchs are breeding over about 6 hectares in northern Mexico, up from a record low of 0.65 hectares in 2013-14, according to Wilson.“That’s a really positive sign, especially since their numbers have been down in recent years,” Wilson told the university.  Continue reading...