{"id":11350,"date":"2022-06-11T17:15:54","date_gmt":"2022-06-11T22:15:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/?page_id=11350"},"modified":"2022-07-25T13:50:44","modified_gmt":"2022-07-25T18:50:44","slug":"monarch-butterfly","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.forestwildlife.org\/monarch-butterfly\/","title":{"rendered":"Monarch Butterfly: Key Facts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Did you know migrating monarchs live longer than most other types of butterflies? Or that monarchs can be found throughout the world, not just in North America? Keep reading to learn more about these and other monarch butterfly key facts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quick Facts About Monarchs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Scientific Name:<\/strong><\/td>Danaus plexippus<\/em><\/td><\/tr>
Type of Animal:<\/strong><\/td>Insect: butterfly<\/td><\/tr>
Number of Species:<\/strong><\/td>1<\/td><\/tr>
Physical Description:<\/strong><\/td>Medium to large butterflies with orange wings, black stripes, and black bodies. Their eggs are cream-colored, oval-shaped, and pointed on top; their larvae have alternating stripes of white, black, and yellow; and their pupae are pale green and hang down vertically from their mount.<\/td><\/tr>
Distribution:<\/strong><\/td>Widely distributed throughout North and South America, parts of Europe, Australia, and the islands of the South Pacific.<\/td><\/tr>
Habitat:<\/strong><\/td>Monarchs require a warm habitat<\/a> with plenty of milkweed for their larvae to eat. They can be found in open fields, wooded areas, roadsides, and near ponds or rivers, and they migrate to warmer locations in the winter.<\/td><\/tr>
Size:<\/strong><\/td>Wingspan of 3.5 to 4 inches in diameter.<\/td><\/tr>
Diet:<\/strong><\/td>– Larvae: milkweed leaves
– Butterflies: a variety of nectar flowers, including milkweed<\/a><\/td><\/tr>
Lifespan:<\/strong><\/td>As adult butterflies:
– Summer generations live up to 6 weeks.
– Migrating generations live much longer, up to 9 months.<\/td><\/tr>
Life Stages:<\/strong><\/td>– Egg
– Larvae (caterpillar)
– Pupa (chrysalis)
– Butterfly<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What is a Monarch Butterfly?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A monarch is an iconic orange and black butterfly known for its yearly migration to the forested mountains of Mexico. Not all monarchs make this journey; only those found east of the Rocky Mountains in North America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monarchs are native to the American continents, but they have spread to other parts of the world as well. At some point in their past, they crossed the oceans and found their way to parts of Europe, Australia, and the South Pacific islands.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monarchs lay eggs on milkweed plants. The eggs hatch out and the larvae feed on these plants, ingesting toxins found in their leaves which, in turn, make the caterpillars and adult butterflies toxic to many predators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adult monarchs pollinate milkweed plants and feed on a variety of other nectar flowers as well. They live on average from 2 to 6 weeks as adult butterflies, though the migrating generation each year lives for as long as 8 to 9 months. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out this video to learn more about monarch butterflies:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=v4eKxyawNcQ<\/a>