Monarch Butterfly

Monarch Butterfly

The Monarch butterfly is a species of butterfly identifiable by its dark orange color and black striping. Monarchs are the only butterfly species known to migrate.

Fast Facts

Class: Insecta¹
Family: Nymphalidae¹
Species: Danaus plexippus¹
Also found in New Zealand and Australia²
Eggs hatch into caterpillars¹
Caterpillars feed on milkweed¹
Can fly up to 3,000 miles and live up to nine months during migration³

Monarch Migration in the United States

Monarch eggs are laid in the northern climates in the spring. In the summer months, the eggs hatch and the butterflies begin their journey south. Two or three generations can reproduce and migrate slowly until the late summer. The final generation, usually the fourth generation of the season, does not reproduce and instead travels the longest leg of the trip to winter in Texas, California or Mexico. Towards the end of winter, the Monarchs begin to reproduce again and to travel north.³

Monarchs and Viceroys

The Viceroy butterfly has similar colorings to the Monarch and is often mistaken for the Monarch.⁴ However, the two species are not in the same family and the Viceroy does not migrate. Scientists continue to speculate on exactly why the two insects mimic each other, but no definitive consensus has been reached.⁵

Categories

Animals | Nature | Science | Biology

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The Mahalo Top 7

Wikipedia: Monarch Butterfly
Monarch Butterfly: The Monarch Butterfly in North America
Journey North: Monarch Butterfly
Montana State University: Monarch Butterfly
PBS: Monarch Migration
NatureWorks: Monarch Butterfly
YouTube Video: Monarch Butterfly Emerges (Time: 1:50)

Monarch Butterfly News and Articles

The Sydney Morning Herald: "Mexico in Tourism Push to Protect Monarch Butterflies" (November 26, 2007)
ScienceDaily: Food For Flight: Monarch Butterfly Migration And Forest Restoration (November 20, 2006)
CNN.com: New Study Finds Widespread Damage at Monarch Butterfly's Mexico Reserve (September 12, 2000)

Monarch Butterfly Background and Behavior

Monarch Watch: Monarch Biology | Sexing Monarchs
San Francisco State University: The Biography of the Monarch Butterfly (Dannaus plexippus)
Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility (CBIF): Monarch Butterfly
Monarch Butterfly: Monarch Butterfly Habitat Needs | Migration and Overwintering
Journey North: Monarch Spring Migration

Monarch Butterfly and Humans

Monarch Watch: Butterfly Gardening | Rearing Monarchs
Monarch Butterfly: Conservation in North America | Citizen Science
Monarch Butterfly NZ Trust: How and Why to Tag Monarchs?
Journey North: When, Where and How to Watch Fall Monarch Migration Slideshow
Monarch Lab: Catching Monarch Butterflies | Making a Cage

Monarch Butterfly Fun Stuff

Journey North: Monarch Butterfly Lessons, Activities and Information
Enchanted Learning Center: Monarch Butterfly
Monarch Lab: Monarchs in the Classroom
National Geographic: Monarch Butterfly Printable Coloring Page
JigZone: Monarch Butterfly Jigsaw Puzzle

Monarch Butterfly Photos

Google Image Search: Monarch Butterfly Images
Yahoo! Image Search: Monarch Butterfly Images
MSN Live Search: Monarch Butterfly Images

Monarch Butterfly Videos

YouTube & Google Video: Monarch Butterfly Search
Yahoo! Video Search: Monarch Butterfly Videos
Metacafe: Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary - Mexico (Time: 4:26)
YouTube: Live Monarch Foundation - How to Fix a Broken Butterfly Wing (Time: 9:32)
Brightcove: Monarch Butterfly Tagging (Time: 3:08)

Monarch Butterfly Blogs and Forums

Vegan Momma: Monarch Butterfly: A Missed Opportunity?
Daily Kos: Mexico Announces Intention to Protect Monarch Butterfly Habitat from Logging
Curious Cat: Monarch Butterfly Migration
Buzzle.com: Monarch Butterfly: Life Cycle and Migration
Refuge Watch: Monarch Butterfly Migration

Monarch Butterfly Organizations

Monarch Butterfly Books and Related Merchandise

Amazon.com: Monarch Butterfly Merchandise
Barnes & Noble: Monarch Butterfly Books
Cafepress.com: Monarch Butterfly T-Shirts and Gifts
Google Product Search: Monarch Butterfly Merchandise

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