Monarch Butterfly (Male)

Description:

Bright orange wings with black and white markings. The outer edge of the wings has a thick black border. Within the black border are white spots. The upper corner of the top set of wings has orange spots. The body of the monarch is black. This monarch is a male, which can be distinguished from the females because the males have two clearly visible black spots on their hindwings.

Habitat:

Spotted in a rural wildflower garden during a solar eclipse.

Notes:

Monarch metamorphosis from egg to adult takes as little as 25 days, However, it is estimated that fewer than 10% of monarch eggs and caterpillars survive because they are so vulnerable to weather, parasites, and disease. Monarchs are harbingers of environmental change, and it seems that their numbers may be continuing to decline.