Monarch Butterfly Images

Monarch Butterfly Images and Information:

Danaus plexippus

• Monarch butterflies are large, bright orange butterflies with black veins, white spots, and black borders on their wings. Males have a black spot on each hindwing.
• Monarch butterflies are long-distance migrators. Eastern populations breed in the northern U.S. and southern Canada, then migrate to central Mexico for the winter. Western populations breed west of the Rocky Mountains and overwinter in coastal California.
• Monarch butterflies inhabit meadows, fields, prairies, roadsides, gardens, and other open areas with milkweed plants.
• Monarch caterpillars feed exclusively on milkweed plants. Adult butterflies drink nectar from a variety of flowering plants.
• Monarch butterflies lay single eggs on milkweed plants. Caterpillars hatch in 3-5 days and undergo 5 instars over 10-14 days before pupating.
• Monarchs are also known as “milkweed butterflies”.
• A group of butterflies can be called a “kaleidoscope”, “rainbow”, “swarm”, or “flutter” of butterflies.
• The longest recorded monarch butterfly lifespan is 11 months.

I hope you enjoy viewing my Monarch butterfly photos.