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.

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.Monarch Butterfly: Migration and Overwintering

The Viceroy butterfly has similar colorings to the Monarch and is often mistaken for the Monarch.Encarta: Viceroy and Monarch 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.ICISD: Monarch Viceroy Puzzle