Rare 'Monarch' butterflies seen locally

Rare Monarch butterflies seen in Rochdale Cemetery at the Garden of Remembrance

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Two rare 'Monarch' butterflies have been reported as being seen in Rochdale Cemetery at the Garden of Remembrance on Saturday. 

The Monarch is a native of the USA, Mexico, Madeira and Iberia.

It cannot live in Britain as its caterpillars' only food plants, the Milkweeds (asclepias), do not grow here.

There have been occasional sightings in other parts of Britain, usually close to the South and West coasts in the autumn when they may have been blown in on a high wind.

One was seen in the city centre of Liverpool a few years back.

It is considerably larger than any of our native butterflies.

Like some native species, there are sites online where you can purchase the Monarch as a caterpillar or a chrysalis and let it grow into a butterfly.

Richard Greenwood said: “These Rochdale Monarchs must have been reared in this fashion and then released.

“The fact it was Fathers' Day weekend makes it quite likely that someone has reared and released them in memory of their father - but who?”