Monarch Butterfly

Distribution: North and South America, the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand Wingspan: 8.6–12.4 cm Weight: 0.27–0.75 g Lifespan: 6–8 months Diet: Herbivorous Social life: Gregarious IUCN red list status: No Status Monarch butterflies are among the most recognized migratory species in the butterfly world. As temperatures drop, these butterflies embark on a journey to forested areas with milder climates to survive the winter months. In these overwintering locations, monarchs gather in such large numbers that they can entirely cover tree leaves, branches and trunks, sometimes even causing branches to bend under their collective weight. The monarch's body is primarily orange with black borders and veins. This orange coloration serves as a warning to potential predators that monarchs are toxic and should not be eaten. The monarch life cycle begins as eggs, typically laid by females on milkweed plants. Once they hatch, the larvae feed on milkweed, their primary food source during the caterpillar stage. As adults, monarchs feed on nectar from a variety of flowering plants.