Monarch Butterfly Facts
Scientific name- Danaus plexippus
Appearance
They have orange, black, and white wings. There are several other species of butterflies that are black-and-orange and look somewhat like monarchs.
~Click Here to test your monarch identification abilities!
You can tell male monarch butterflies from females. Males have black spots on one of the black veins on the back of their wings. Female monarchs do not.
~Click Here to get a better idea of the differences.
Migration
The migration is a 2000-3000 mile journey. Monarchs travel over 2,000 miles during migration.
Monarchs cannot take freezing weather in the northern and central continental climates in the winter. Therefore they have to travel south to Mexico. Where they start is where they end.
Imagine a relay race going from mexico to southern US to central US then to Canada all the way back to Mexico .
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/monarch/sl/37/index.html
*FUN FACT*
The local people in Michoacan, Mexico celebrate the returning monarchs as the embodiment of the souls of their ancestors.
Monarchs can travel between 50 - 100 miles a day; it can take up to two months to complete their journey back to the Mexican mountain forests where they spend the winter.
Food-Milkweed
Wherever there is milkweed there will be Monarch butterflies. Milkweed is needed for the caterpillars to survive.
~You can learn to plant milkweed at Plant Milkweed for Monarchs
Milkweed populations have experienced a steep and steady decline during the past 10-15 years, as the use of Roundup-Ready crops has increased. Monarch populations have reached their lowest levels during this same time frame.
The monarch is poisonous to many predators. The poison comes from the milkweed leaves eaten by the caterpillars.
Once a monarch is an adult they eat nectar from the flowers of almost any plant. Only the caterpillars need milkweed to survive.
Threats
Droughts hurt monarch populations, because they reduce both the flowers that feed adults and the milkweed that feeds caterpillars.
Female monarchs lay several hundred eggs in their life span. The eggs are placed, one at a time, on the underside of milkweed leaves.
Monarchs cannot fly if their body temperature is less than 86 degrees. If it's less than that, they will sit in the sun or move their wings to stay warm.
The Mexican forests where monarchs overwinter are threatened by illegal logging. Some organizations work with local people to protect and restore the forests.
See What's The Problem for more information.
Life Cycle
Monarchs can produce four generations during one summer.
The first three generations will have life spans from 2 - 6 weeks and move north as the milkweed grows.
The fourth generation can live up to nine months. This generation migrates south for the winter. Populations in the Midwest and Canada migrate to Mexico.
**People can help monarchs by: planting and protecting milkweed and nectar flowers, reducing pesticide use, promoting monarch conservation in their communities, contributing to citizen science, and supporting monarch conservation organizations.**
Scientific name- Danaus plexippus
Appearance
They have orange, black, and white wings. There are several other species of butterflies that are black-and-orange and look somewhat like monarchs.
~Click Here to test your monarch identification abilities!
You can tell male monarch butterflies from females. Males have black spots on one of the black veins on the back of their wings. Female monarchs do not.
~Click Here to get a better idea of the differences.
Migration
The migration is a 2000-3000 mile journey. Monarchs travel over 2,000 miles during migration.
Monarchs cannot take freezing weather in the northern and central continental climates in the winter. Therefore they have to travel south to Mexico. Where they start is where they end.
Imagine a relay race going from mexico to southern US to central US then to Canada all the way back to Mexico .
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/monarch/sl/37/index.html
*FUN FACT*
The local people in Michoacan, Mexico celebrate the returning monarchs as the embodiment of the souls of their ancestors.
Monarchs can travel between 50 - 100 miles a day; it can take up to two months to complete their journey back to the Mexican mountain forests where they spend the winter.
Food-Milkweed
Wherever there is milkweed there will be Monarch butterflies. Milkweed is needed for the caterpillars to survive.
~You can learn to plant milkweed at Plant Milkweed for Monarchs
Milkweed populations have experienced a steep and steady decline during the past 10-15 years, as the use of Roundup-Ready crops has increased. Monarch populations have reached their lowest levels during this same time frame.
The monarch is poisonous to many predators. The poison comes from the milkweed leaves eaten by the caterpillars.
Once a monarch is an adult they eat nectar from the flowers of almost any plant. Only the caterpillars need milkweed to survive.
Threats
Droughts hurt monarch populations, because they reduce both the flowers that feed adults and the milkweed that feeds caterpillars.
Female monarchs lay several hundred eggs in their life span. The eggs are placed, one at a time, on the underside of milkweed leaves.
Monarchs cannot fly if their body temperature is less than 86 degrees. If it's less than that, they will sit in the sun or move their wings to stay warm.
The Mexican forests where monarchs overwinter are threatened by illegal logging. Some organizations work with local people to protect and restore the forests.
See What's The Problem for more information.
Life Cycle
Monarchs can produce four generations during one summer.
The first three generations will have life spans from 2 - 6 weeks and move north as the milkweed grows.
The fourth generation can live up to nine months. This generation migrates south for the winter. Populations in the Midwest and Canada migrate to Mexico.
**People can help monarchs by: planting and protecting milkweed and nectar flowers, reducing pesticide use, promoting monarch conservation in their communities, contributing to citizen science, and supporting monarch conservation organizations.**