Monarch Butterfly
The Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is a species of butterfly known for its stunning orange and black wings and its incredible long-distance migration.
The Monarch Butterfly undertakes one of the most remarkable migrations in the animal kingdom, traveling up to 3,000 miles from the United States and Canada to Mexico for the winter. The migration is a multi-generational journey, with the butterflies breeding and dying along the way.
The Monarch Butterfly is a crucial part of the ecosystem, as a pollinator. Unfortunately, the Monarch Butterfly is a vulnerable species, facing threats from habitat loss and a decline in milkweed, its primary food source.
Monarch Butterfly
Classification
Insecta > Lepidoptera > Nymphalidae > Danaus > D. plexippus
Native To
Conservation Status
Average Height
3 - 4 inches
(8 - 10 cm)
Average Weight
0.02 - 0.05 oz
(0.5 - 1.5 g)
Average Life Span
2 - 9 months
Gestation Period
3 - 8 days
Did You Know?
The Monarch Butterfly is famous for its incredible annual migration, traveling thousands of miles from Canada and the U.S. to Mexico or California for the winter.
Their wings are a vibrant orange with black veins and white spots, a warning to predators that they are toxic to eat.
Monarch Butterflies lay their eggs exclusively on milkweed plants, which are the only food source for their caterpillars.
They undergo a complete metamorphosis, transforming from an egg, to a larva (caterpillar), to a pupa (chrysalis), and finally to a butterfly.
The chrysalis of a Monarch Butterfly is a beautiful jade green with a band of gold dots.
A single Monarch Butterfly can live for up to nine months, especially the migratory generation, while others only live for a few weeks.
Climate change and habitat loss, especially of milkweed, pose significant threats to the Monarch Butterfly population.
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