Monarch

Description:

The monarch butterfly is reddish-orange with black vein-like markings. There is a black border around its wings with white spots on it. Its wings look like stained glass windows! When its wings are open, they are about four inches wide. Males and females are similar in appearance, but the the black veins are thicker on the female's wings and the male has small pouches on their hind wings where they store pheromones. The bright orange of the monarch is a type of advertising coloration that warns predators away.

Habitat:

Gregg's mistflower in wildlife habitat yard.

Notes:

As fall approaches non-reproductive monarchs are born. These are the butterflies that will migrate south. They will not reproduce until the following spring. These late summer monarchs will travel hundreds and even thousands of miles to their winter grounds in Mexico and California. These monarchs need a lot of energy to make their trip! They store fat in their abdomens that will help them make the long trip south and will help them survive the winter. During their five months in Mexico from November to May, monarchs remain mostly inactive. They will remain perfectly still hour-after-hour and day-after-day. They live off of the stored fat they gained during their fall migration.