The Monarch That Visited Vacaville on Election Day
A monarch visited Vacaville, Calif. on Election Day, Nov. 4, 2025.
No, it wasn't King Charles or any of the 42 other monarchs in sovereign states. Did you know that these monarchies are spread across Asia (13), Europe (12), the Americas (9), Oceania (6), and Africa (3)? And yes, the monarch's role can vary significantly, from ceremonial positions in constitutional monarchies to absolute power.
This monarch that arrived today possessed no absolute power. Zero. Zilch. Nada.
It arrived for a little flight fuel on its journey to an overwintering site along coastal California.
It came from the West, nectared for about 10 minutes on a 12-foot-high stand of Mexican sunlowers (Tithonia rotundifola), and then fluttered away.
But what a joy to see! Especially on Election Day.
Fact is, our pollinator garden did not draw its first monarch of the year until July 25. As I wrote that day on Bug Squad: "The female arrived at 12: 45 p. m. and laid eggs on five milkweed plants. She sipped a little nectar. A male Gulf Fritillary chased her, a spider eyed her, lady beetles ignored her, and the cat that guards the garden tried to bat her down. The cat did not succeed. The monarch fluttered away after a 45-minute stay."
By mid-September we were seeing them every day until it rained, and then a few more.
However, the most memorable monarch of all was a tagged one that fluttered into our garden on Sept. 5, 2016. Citizen scientist Steven Johnson of Ashland, Ore., had tagged and released it (a male) on Aug. 28. It stopped for some flight fuel, nectaring on Mexican sunflowers (Tithonia rotundifola) and a butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii) before heading toward an overwintering site in coastal California.
The tag? It read “Monarch@wsu.edu A6093.”
It was part of Washington State University entomoogist David James' migratory tagging research program. "So, assuming it didn't travel much on the day you saw it," he told us, "it flew 285 miles in 7 days or about 40.7 miles per day. Pretty amazing."
Incredible. 285 miles in 7 days or 40.7 miles per day. Incredible.
Thankfully, today's winged visitor managed to escape the attention of our Lepidopteran cat, Miss Sarah Sylvia Cynthia Stout, who portrays herself as "The Guardian of the Garden." We've witnessed her chasing numerous butterflies, and catching and eating a cabbage white butterfly and a Gulf Fritillary. In fact, Miss SSCT lurks beneath the passionflower vine (Passiflora) to await the arrival of Gulf Frits as the females lay their eggs and the males patrol for females.
Just like birds, spiders, praying mantises, wasps and other critters, Miss SSCT preys on butterflies.
But on Election Day, Nov. 4, 2025, she didn't.
Safe travels, Little One.
