Monarch Butterfly

Order: Lepidoptera

Family: Nymphalidae

Genus: Danaus

Species: D. plexippus

Identifying Characteristics:

- wingspan ranges from 8.9-10.2 cm. The upper side of the wings is tawny-orange, the viens and margins are black, and in the margins are two series of small white spots. The fore wings also have a few orange spots near the tip. The underside is similar but the tip of the fore wing and hind wing are yellow-brown instead of tawny-orange and the white spots are larger

- Male: has a black patch of androconial scales responsible for dispersing pheromones on the hind wings, and the black veins on its wing are narrower than the female’s. The male is also slightly larger

- Like all insects the Monarch has six legs, however it uses only four of its legs as it carries its two front legs against its body

- The eggs are creamy white and later turn pale yellow. They are elongate and subconical, with approximately 23 longitudinal ridges and many fine traverse lines

- The caterpillar is banded with yellow, black, and white stripes. The head is also striped with yellow and black. There are two pairs of black filaments, one pair on each end of the body. The caterpillar will reach a length of 5 cm

- The chrysalis is blue-green with a band of black and gold on the end of the abdomen. There are other gold spots on the thorax, the wing bases, and the eyes

Special Adaptations:

- The Monarch ranges from southern Canada to northern South America

- Monarchs are especially noted for their lengthy annual migration. In North America they make massive southward migrations starting in August until the first frost.

- A northward migration takes place in the spring. The monarch is the only butterfly that migrates both north and south as the birds do on a regular basis.But no single individual makes the entire round trip. Female monarchs deposit eggs for the next generation during these migrations

- Monarch butterflies are poisonous or distasteful to birds and mammals because of the presence of cardiac glycosidesthat are contained in milkweed consumed by the larva.

- The Monarch can be found in a wide range of habitats such as fields, meadows, prairie remnants, urban and suburban parks, gardens, and roadsides