Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
Brush-Footed Butterfly Family (Nymphalidae)
Monarch is a black and orange butterfly, reaching a 4 in wingspan. Its upper side of the wings is tawny-orange, with black veins and margins, and small white spots in the margins. The underside is similar, but has yellow-brown tips of the wings and larger white spots. The slightly larger male has thinner veins and a black spot on each hindwing that releases pheromones to attract the females. The adults are present year round, but go through three to four generations per year. Many generations only last a few weeks to a couple months, but the generation that migrates south lives around 7 months. Most populations east of the Rockies migrate south to central Mexico to overwinter, while ones west of the Rockies fly for the Pacific coast in CA. The overwintering generation only migrates back north part way before its offspring makes the rest of the way in the spring. Lays its eggs only on milkweeds. The caterpillars and adults are poisonous or distasteful to many birds and mammals due to the caterpillars eating only milkweeds, which have a poisonous milky sap. The caterpillar is banded with yellow, black, and white stripes and has a striped yellow and black head and two pairs of black filaments. The chrysalis (pupal skin) is jade green with little golden bumps and a black and gold band. The adults feed on many nectar plants, including milkweeds, asters, thistles, red clover, and wild carrot. Found in the Americas from southern Canada to northern South America usually in fields, prairies, roadsides, and gardens during the summer and in conifer groves in the winter. Has 2 subspecies.
Listed as a Species of Special Concern in CAN.
Copyright Brett Miley
