Fall migration of the monarch butterfly underway

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — The only butterfly known to head south for the winter has started its fall migration. The USDA says monarch butterflies use environmental cues to know when it’s time to head to a winter home. They use a combination of air currents and thermals to travel as far as 3,000 miles to warmer climates. Visitors to the McCrory Gardens in Brookings the past few days have been treated to hundreds of monarchs enjoying all of the nectar options.  Butterfly enthusiasts have been reporting large numbers, up to eight hundred, roosting in their trees at night locally.  Earlier this summer, the monarch was added to the endangered species list.