Migration of Monarch Butterflies in Michoacán
Morelia, Mich., November 13, 2025 – Millions of monarch butterflies have arrived in Michoacán since November 3rd, with the first arrivals landing at Cerro El Campanario in the ejido El Rosario, located in the municipality of Ocampo.
To date, three colonies of lepidopterans have formed in the oyamel trees of the region, and a fourth colony is close to being established, which is expected to cover about eight hectares of forest with butterflies coming from Canada. Sergio Téllez, one of the guardians of this sanctuary, shared these insights.
Téllez announced that the monarch butterfly sanctuaries will open to the public on November 21, followed by an opening ceremony on November 22 in El Rosario, which will include cultural events. „We cannot talk about an exact number of butterflies; I don’t know where they get the figures, but we know it will be a good season with millions of butterflies, slightly more than in 2024, and only about two hectares will be visible to the public,“ he noted.
He added that other sanctuaries open to the public would be in Sierra Chincua, Angangueo, and in the municipalities of Senguio, Tlalpujahua, Áporo, and Cerro Pelón in Zitácuaro, where visitors are also expected to witness the migratory insects.
According to Téllez, „the first thing that the lepidopterans do is cluster together like bunches of grapes on the branches of the oyamels, especially in the cold mountainous region of eastern Michoacán, particularly at Cerro El Campanario.“
Abel Cruz, the administrator of the El Campanario sanctuary, confirmed that in 2023, the monarch butterfly population began to recover after only five hectares were covered by butterflies (approximately 50 million insects) in 2022. This season, it is expected that about 80 million butterflies will occupy at least eight hectares.
Cruz explained that in previous years, more than 100 million butterflies have occupied at least 10 hectares of oyamels for hibernation in Ocampo. „However, there have also been seasons, like in 2016, when a snowfall killed millions of butterflies, and after the initial despair of the people, they managed to recover within two or three years.“
Actions are being taken to recover their habitat. Cruz stated that efforts are underway in Michoacán to restore the lepidopteran habitat, with dozens of hectares of oyamels and pines already planted. Additionally, there is ongoing surveillance in the core area of the butterfly sanctuary, covering about 12 square kilometers around El Campanario. „The real threat lies in the territory the butterfly traverses from the northern continent, which passes through agricultural areas where insecticides kill them by the millions,“ he concluded.
