The Monarch Butterflies

The monarch butterfly or simply monarch is a milkweed butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. Other common names, depending on region, include milkweed, common tiger, wanderer, and black veined brown.

It may be the most familiar North American butterfly, and is considered an iconic pollinator species. The eastern North American monarch population is notable for its annual southward late-summer/autumn migration from the northern and central United States and southern Canada to Florida and Mexico. During the fall migration, monarchs cover thousands of miles, with a corresponding multi-generational return north. The western North American population of monarchs west of the Rocky Mountains often migrates to sites in southern California but has been found in overwintering Mexican sites as well. Monarchs have been bred on the International Space Station.

The name "monarch" is believed to have been given in honor of King William III of England, as the butterfly's main color is that of the king's secondary title Prince of Orange. The monarch was originally described by Carl Linnaeus in his Systema Naturae of 1758 and placed in the genus Papilio.

About The Monarchs:

The monarch butterflies, scientific name is Danaus plexippus, from the type invertebrates are a Herbivore diet bsed butterflies with an average life span of six to eight months.

The monarch butterfly is one of the most recognizable and well studied butterflies on the planet. Its orange wings are laced with black lines and bordered with white dots. Famous for their seasonal migration, millions of monarchs migrate from the United States and Canada south to California and Mexico for the winter.

As an iconic and loved species, monarchs have received a lot of attention from conservationists. Projects exist across North America (find more below, at Nat-Geo).