Monarch butterfly
Image: Rosalia Fernandez Tarrio (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Common NameMonarch butterfly
Scientific NameDanaus plexippus
FamilyNymphalidae
SubfamilyDanainae
Wingspan (mm)95
Wing Patternstriped
Primary Colorsorange, black, white
HabitatOpen fields, meadows, roadsides, agricultural areas, and forests (for overwintering)
Geographic RangeNorth America (migratory populations), Central America, parts of South America, with significant overwintering sites in Mexico (Michoacán) and California.
Host Plantsmilkweed
Flight PeriodMultiple generations from spring to fall in breeding grounds; migratory generation flies in late summer/fall to overwintering sites.
Flight Stylegliding
Conservation Statusendangered
Lifecycle NotesEggs are laid on milkweed, hatching into striped caterpillars. Caterpillars form a jade-green chrysalis with gold spots, from which the adult butterfly emerges.
Identification TipsIdentified by its distinctive orange and black wing pattern with white spots on the black borders. Often confused with the Viceroy butterfly, which has an additional black line across the hindwings.
Description
A large, iconic butterfly with bright orange wings outlined by black veins and a thick black border adorned with two series of small white spots.
