Monarch Butterfly

Distribution: From North and South America and the Caribbean to Australia and New Zealand

Wingspan: 8.6–12.4 cm

Weight: 0.27–0.75 g

Lifespan: 6–8 months

Diet: Herbivore

Social life: Gregarious

IUCN red list status: No status



Monarch butterflies are one of the most known migrants in the butterfly world. As the climate cools, this butterfly begins a journey flying to forested regions searching for better climate conditions to pass the winter months. At over wintering locations you can see monarch butterflies covering trees (leaves, branches and trunks), sometimes it is even possible to cause trees to tumble under their weight.

Their body is mainly orange with black borders and veins. The presence of orange has a purpose which is to warn predators that monarchs are poisonous and they should not attack them.

Monarchs start their life cycle as eggs that are laid by females, usually, on a plant called milkweed. Later they hatch as larvae and milkweed will be main source of food for caterpillars. When adults, monarchs feed on nectar from numerous kinds of flowers.