The Monarch Butterfly is a migratory insect that undergoes various phases of development. During its life span, it begins as an egg, then becomes a caterpillar and then finally it becomes a butterfly! Monarch Butterflies only live about nine months, but during that time, they can travel great distances.

Famous for its migratory habits, the Monarch Butterfly spends winters in Mexico, the California coast and the Southern United States. During the summer, they live as far North as Canada. They migrate annually, and one butterfly tagged in Canada was recaptured in Mexico, which demonstrates the great distances they travel during their migration. One of the most popular winter spots for Monarchs is Pacific Grove in Monterey County, California, where thousands of Monarchs winter in the Eucalyptus trees. Nobody knows what factors cause the Monarch to migrate. Monarch Butterflies do not reproduce in the winter. When spring comes, they return to their summer home and lay eggs. When the eggs hatch and turn into butterflies, they then return to their parent's winter home. The female Monarch lays about 400 eggs on the underside of milkweed plants. The eggs hatch into tiny caterpillars after about two weeks. After hatching, the caterpillars eat almost constantly. When they are full-grown, they pupate, shedding their skin and turning into a chrysalis. After about two weeks as a chrysalis, one can see the butterfly through the transparent shell. After the butterfly emerges from the chrysalis, it hangs onto the shell for several hours while the wings dry. They then begin their migration, gaining strength from flowers. The average life span of the Monarch Butterfly is six to nine months. As larvae, Monarchs feed on the milkweed plant on which they were born. They assimilate the milkweed juices, which makes them poisonous to birds and other predators. Not all Monarchs are poisonous, but the distinctive orange color protects the non-poisonous Monarchs from predators as well as the poisonous ones.

As a caterpillar, the Monarch is banded with white, black and yellow stripes. They have eight pairs of legs, five of which will disappear during the pupal stage. Adult Monarchs are bright orange with black around the outside and on the veins of the wings. The wings have white spots and orange patches. The Monarch's body is black with white spots. The only good way to tell a male Monarch from a female is by looking at the hind wing. Males have a dark spot on the hind wing. They also have thicker wings and small claspers on the abdomen.

The Monarch Butterfly is a beautiful insect that brings pleasure to all that see it. However, this beautiful animal is an endangered species. In California especially, harming a Monarch is a crime. In Pacific Grove, California, anyone caught molesting a Monarch must pay a $500 fine.

There is currently no special care information in our databases for this animal. To submit care information that is specific to this animal please click here.

There is currently no special breeding information in our databases for this animal. To submit breeding / propagation information that is specific to this animal please click here.