5,469 Records

The Monarch (Danaus plexippus) is one of the most celebrated and recognizable insects in North America. This large butterfly is a powerful flier, and certain populations are generational migrants, spending the winter at protected forest sites in the highlands of Mexico. The following spring, the ones that hibernated migrate north, and over several generations, breeding as they move north, the species spreads over most of North America as far north as southern Canada for the summer. This species cannot tolerate freezing temperatures, so the entire population (millions of individuals) migrates south in autumn. Some individuals make it all the way to Mexico (Brock & Kaufman, 2003).

Unmistakable. The Viceroy is a Monarch mimic but with practice the two species can easily be separated. The black line that bisects the hindwings on a Viceroy is diagnostic for Viceroy and is never present in Monarchs.

During the summer Monarchs can be quite conspicuous as they search for stands of milkweed on which to lay their eggs. Towards the middle of September Monarch numbers will begin to rise as they begin their southern migration. Large numbers can be viewed migrating during early northerly fronts. On cool fall morning mass numbers of Monarchs can occasionally be observed at the tips of peninsulas like Pt. Lookout and Black Walnut Point hanging from the trees as they wait for the sun to warm them so they can continue on their migration south.

Completely reliant on milkweeds, especially Common Milkweed. Also uses Butterfly Weed.