Danaus plexippus

Origin: North and Central America

Size: 4.5 to 6 in wingspan

Diet: Preferred nectar plants consist of milkweed, asters, red clover, zinnia, cosmos, lantana, pentas, daisy

Activity: commonly found in fields meadows and forests

Reproduction: 

• Their eggs are found only on the milkweed plant

• The caterpillar eats only milkweed making the insect toxic to many organisms

• The chrysalis is smooth and green until the adult butterfly emerges

Extra Facts:

• The monarch migration is a multigenerational journey from Canada all the way down to the mountain range of central Mexico.

• In the Mexican mountain range, these butterflies cluster together in large numbers for breeding

• males have to black dots on the back of their wings that act as scent glands