Monarch Butterfly

Early in October, if you are lucky to be in the right place, you can whiteness large numbers of monarch butterflies starting their 2,500 mile journey south to central Mexico and the coast of California where they will hibernate for the next 6-8 months.

Classification
Class: Insecta           Order: Lepidoptera           Family: Nymphalida           Genus: Danaus           Species: plexippus

Facts
1. Monarchs migrate up to 3000 miles every year.
2. They can travel up to 2000 miles in 2 months.
3. The wings of a butterfly are actually made up of a very thin and transparent material called chitin. The color and pattern that you see is actually made up of tiny scales.

Anatomy
The body of a monarch butterfly can be divided into the head, thorax, and abdomen:
1. head – compound eyes, a pair of antennae and palpi (which they use to smell), and a proboscis (a tongue shaped like a straw which curls up when not in use)
2. thorax – three segments each having a pair of legs (at the tip of each leg are taste organs used to detect a good food source), and two wings on each side.
3. abdomen – where vital organs are located. 

Family Life – Life Cycle
Monarchs go through four generations a year. The first two generations mature into adults in the spring (March-May) or early summer (May-July). They do not migrate but focus on eating and reproducing. The third and fourth generations reach adulthood in the late summer (July-August) or fall (September-October). In the fall, they migrate south to central Mexico or along the Coast of California, depending on the population (see Habitat and Diet). This is where the fourth generation stays until the spring, when they migrate north and repeat the cycle. This fourth migratory generation lives 6-9 months compared to the 2-5 weeks of the nonmigratory generations.

Like all butterflies, the Monarch Butterfly goes through complete metamorphosis. The lifecycle of the butterfly starts as an egg. A single egg is laid onto a milkweed plant and attached using a glue-like substance. The egg can be either yellow or white and is as small as a pencil tip. The egg hatches into a larva (caterpillar) after three to five days. As the caterpillar grows it sheds its skin and, after 9-14 days, the caterpillar sheds for the last time and transforms into a chrysalis. After 9-15 days a butterfly emerges. 

Habitat and Diet
The Monarch Butterfly is native to North and South America, but has spread to Europe and the South Pacific. In north America, the population is divided into two groups. The western monarchs (which overwinter along the coast of California) and the eastern monarchs (which overwinter in central Mexico).

Because it is essential to their diets, monarchs are found in habitats where milkweed grows. This includes prairies, wetlands, pastures, parks, and gardens. However, while monarchs migrate, they can be found in just about any habitat. And, while overwintering, monarchs can be found in forests of pine, cypress, and eucalyptus on the coast of California, and forests of fir and pine in the mountains of Mexico. The monarch caterpillar diet consists of native milkweed. As butterflies, the monarch’s diet consists of nectar from flowering plants.

Like all butterflies, monarchs play important roles as pollinators. As they collect nectar, they spread pollen from flower to flower. Without pollinators, some flowering plants would not be able to reproduce. This includes most of the fruits and vegetables that we eat. Without pollinators, we would not have berries, melons, squash, nuts, seeds, apples, avocados, and many more.    

Predators
The consumption of milkweed as larvae cause monarchs to be toxic. Butterflies and caterpillars have bright colors which they use to warn other animals about their toxicity. Despite these warning colors, monarch caterpillars can be attacked by ants, spiders, and wasps. As butterflies, they are eaten by birds. The most common being black-backed orioles and grosbeaks which feed on the butterflies in their overwintering sights. Unlike other animals, these birds seem to be immune to monarch toxins.

Conservation
It is believed that North American monarchs have been making their migration journey for thousands of years. However, Monarch populations, especially western monarchs, have been greatly declining since the 1980’s. This is believed to be the result of habitat loss, pesticides, and parasites. For this reason, monarchs have been added to the endangered species list with the hopes that it will help people understand the danger that the butterflies are in. You can help by planting native milkweed and avoiding the use of pesticides.