Monarch butterfly

Description:

The monarch is rich orange and black patterned wings. It is a large butterfly with a wingspan up to 100 mm. The monarch is considered a native in New Zealand because it became established here on its own and has been here since at least the mid 1870. It is originally from North America.

Habitat:

Monarchs in New Zealand do not follow the same migration pattern as their northern relatives. They have adapted their migration behaviour to suit local conditions. When the air temperature drops to 12.8°C, monarchs flock together in overwintering sites. An often-overlooked threat to monarch larvae is their dependence on swan plants (Asclepias species). Without these plants, monarchs could not breed here. There are some other food sources available. Tweedia (Oxypetalum caeruleum) is a common garden plant with small blue flowers. Larvae will only eat the new shoots. A weed named the moth plant (Araujia sericifera) is another option. Adults take only liquid food, nectar and water.