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Species of the month

Monarch Butterfly

Some facts on this insect:

Wingspan: 8.9–10.2 cm.

Range: North America to 50°N in summer, migrating south to California and Mexico to over-winter; also Canary Islands, Madeira, Azores, Bermuda, many Paciﬁc islands, including Galapagos Islands, Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, Moluccas, Philippines, Taiwan.

Habitat: Can be found in a wide range of habitats such as fields, meadows, prairie remnants, urban and suburban parks, gardens, and roadsides.

Adult diet: Flower nectar.

Larvae diet: Milkweed leaves.

Life-span: 2 to 8 weeks; hibernating generation: 6 to 8 months.

Conservation status: Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1).

First described: By the Swedish naturalist Linnaeus in 1758.

Danaus plexippus just loves travelling. This butterfly is the only insect which migrates up to 4,000 km., from Canada to Mexico and Baja California and back again, to reach warmer weather and to hibernate. Only the fourth generation migrates each year. The first three generations live only a few weeks, while the forth continues to live on for up to six or eight months so that they can migrate to a warmer climate, hibernate, and start a new first generation in the springtime when they return. The monarchs are poisonous from the milkweed plant chemicals that the larva eat. This creates a defense against predators like frogs, birds, mice and lizards. Recent deforestation of the monarch's overwintering grounds have led to a drastic population decline. Efforts to classify it as a protected species and to restore its habitat are under way.

(Archived from Template:Species of the week)