Monarch butterfly
Image: Joe Mabel (on Flickr as Joe Mabel from Seattle, US) (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Common NameMonarch butterfly
Scientific NameDanaus plexippus
FamilyNymphalidae
SubfamilyDanainae
Wingspan (mm)95
Primary Colorsorange, black, white
HabitatOpen fields, meadows, roadsides, gardens, and forest edges, especially areas with milkweed.
Geographic RangeNorth America, Central America, South America, Australia, New Zealand, and some Pacific Islands.
Host Plantsmilkweed (Asclepias spp.)
Flight PeriodVaries by region; typically spring to fall in temperate zones, year-round in tropical areas. Migratory generations fly late summer/fall.
Conservation Statusendangered
Lifecycle NotesUndergoes complete metamorphosis. Eggs are laid on milkweed, hatching into striped caterpillars. Caterpillars pupate into a jade green chrysalis with gold spots, emerging as adult butterflies. Multiple generations occur annually, with a distinct migratory generation.
Identification TipsRecognizable by its bright orange wings with black veins and black margins dotted with white spots. Males have a small black spot (androconium) on a hindwing vein. Often distinguished from the similar Viceroy by the absence of a black line across the hindwing.
Description
This image displays a large, vibrant orange butterfly with distinct black veins and white spots on its black wing margins, characteristic of a Monarch. It is depicted as an oversized parade float with a stylized head and body.
