Monarch Butterfly (Butterflies of Fundy National Park of Canada / Les papillons du parc national du Canada Fundy)

Monarch Butterfly

Danaus plexippus

Summary ⁷

The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is a milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae) in the family Nymphalidae. It may be the most familiar North American butterfly. The monarch butterfly is not currently listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) or protected specifically under U.S. domestic laws. Its wings feature an easily recognizable orange and black pattern, with a wingspan of 8.9–10.2 cm (3½–4 in). (The viceroy butterfly is similar...

General description ⁸

The black-veined, orange upperside with a white-spotted black border is unique. The Viceroy (Limenitis archippus) though similar, has a black hindwing median line. Monarchs are easy to recognize by their distinctive leisurely, floating flight, holding their wings V-shaped above the body when gliding; Viceroys hold their wings in a flat plane when gliding, a behaviour characteristic of the genus Limenitis.

Distribution ⁹

Globally widespread, with the centre of the range in North America from BC east to Newfoundland, north to the southern NWT south to Argentina (Layberry et al 1998).

Diagnostic description ¹⁰

Monarch butterflies have a wingspan of 3-4 1/2 inches (75-114 mm). The male is bright orange and has a black scent patch in the middle of the upper hind wing. The female is dull orange or brown with more thickly scaled black veins. The underside of the hind wing is light orange with black veins and a marginal black border with two rows of white spots. The upper front wing has a black apex (tip) with white spots. The sub-apex has light orange spots on a dark background. The underside of the front wing has white spots and yellow ovals in the outer portion.

Habitat ¹¹

D. plexippus is a predominantly open country, frost intolerant species whose range of breeding habitats is greatly dependent upon the presence of asclepiad flora (milkweeds). The monarch requires dense tree cover for overwintering, and the majority of the present sites in California are associated with Eucalyptus trees, specifically the blue gum, Eucalyptus globulus. These trees were introduced from Australia and have filled the role of native species that have been been reduced by logging.

Migration ¹²

Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

Flowering plants visited by danaus plexippus in illinois ¹³

Danaus plexippus Linnaeus: Nymphalidae, Lepidoptera
(observations are from Robertson, Graenicher, Betz et al., Reed, Hilty, Clinebell, Smith & Snow, Hapeman, Macior, Broyles & Wyatt, Willson & Bertin, Fothergill & Vaughn, Edwards & Jordan; this is the Monarch butterfly)

Apiaceae: Eryngium yuccifolium sn (Rb), Pastinaca sativa sn (Rb), Sium suave sn (Rb), Torilis arvensis sn (FV); Asclepiadaceae: Ampelamus albidus plup sn, Asclepias exaltata plup sn, Asclepias incarnata [plpr sn] plup sn, Asclepias syriaca plpr sn, Asclepias tuberosa [plab] plup, Asclepias verticillata [plpr sn] plup sn; Asteraceae: Aster drummondii sn (Gr), Aster furcatus sn (Gr), Aster laevis sn (Gr), Aster lanceolatus sn (Gr), Aster macrophyllus sn (Gr), Aster novae-angliae sn (Rb, Gr, H), Aster pilosus sn (Rb), Aster puniceus sn (Gr), Aster salicifolius sn (Rb), Bidens aristosa sn (Rb), Bidens cernua sn fq (Rb), Boltonia asterioides sn (Rb), Cirsium altissimum sn (Gr), Cirsium discolor sn (Rb, H), Cirsium hillii sn (Rb), Cirsium vulgare sn (Rb, Gr), Conoclinium coelestinum sn (Rb), Coreopsis tripteris sn (Rb), Echinacea pallida sn (Rb), Echinacea purpurea sn (Rb, H), Eupatoriadelphus purpureus sn (Rb, Gr, H), Eupatorium altissimum sn (H), Eupatorium perfoliatum sn (Rb, Gr), Euthamia graminifolia sn (Gr), Helianthus annuus sn (Rb, H), Helianthus grosseserratus sn fq (Rb), Helianthus mollis sn (H), Helianthus strumosus sn (Gr), Heliopsis helianthoides sn (Gr), Liatris aspera sn (Rb, H), Liatris pycnostachya sn (Rb), Liatris spicata sn (Gr), Oligoneuron rigidum sn (H, Re), Rudbeckia laciniata sn (Gr), Silphium integrifolium sn (H), Silphium laciniatum sn (Rb), Silphium perfoliatum sn (Rb), Silphium terebinthinaceum sn (H), Solidago canadensis sn (Rb, Gr), Solidago nemoralis sn (Rb), Taraxacum officinale sn (FV), Vernonia fasciculata sn (Rb); Boraginaceae: Mertensia virginica sn (Rb); Campanulaceae: Lobelia siphilitica sn (Rb); Caprifoliaceae: Symphoricarpos albus sn (Gr), Symphoricarpos occidentalis sn (Gr); Dipsacaceae: Dipsacus fullonum sn (Rb); Fabaceae: Melilotus alba sn (Rb), Robinia pseudoacacia sn np (Rb), Trifolium pratense sn (Rb), Trfiolium repens sn (FV); Lamiaceae: Agastache nepetoides sn (Rb), Blephilia hirsuta sn (Rb), Monarda fistulosa sn (Rb, Cl), Physostegia virginiana sn np (Rb), Salvia azurea sn np (H); Liliaceae: Lilium michiganense sn (Rb), Lilium philadelphicum sn (EJ); Orchidaceae: Platanthera blephariglottis sn (SS), Platanthera ciliaris sn (SS), Platanthera peramoena sn (Hpm); Polemoniaceae: Phlox divaricata laphamii sn (Rb), Phlox glaberrima sn (Rb); Polygonaceae: Persicaria pensylvanica sn (H); Ranunculaceae: Delphinium tricorne sn np (Rb, Mc); Rosaceae: Crataegus crus-galli sn (Rb), Crataegus intricata sn (Rb), Malus coronaria sn (Rb), Prunus americana sn (Rb), Prunus serotina flwr sn; Rubiaceae: Cephalanthus occidentalis sn fq (Rb); Verbenaceae: Verbena stricta sn (Rb); Violaceae: Viola sororia sn (FV)
Insect activities:
fq = frequent flower visitor (about 6 or more visits reported)
np = non-pollinating
sn = sucks nectar

Scientific observers:
(Btz) = Robert Betz et al.
(BW) = Broyles & Wyatt
(Cl) = Clinebell
(Gr) = S. Graenicher
(H) = John Hilty
(Hpm) = Jeffrey Hapeman
(Mc) = L.W. Macior
(Rb) = Charles Robertson
(Re) = Catherine Reed
(SS) = Gordon R. Smith & G.E. Snow
(WB) = Willson & Bertin

Ecology ¹⁴

Can contain poison derived from their larval foodplant that helps avoid predation by birds (Scott, 1986).

Behaviour ¹⁵

Adults feed mainly on flower nectar. Males patrol for females (Scott, 1986).

Conservation status ¹⁶

The Monarch is of special concern in Canada (COSEWIC 2002).

Threats ¹⁷

Degree of Threat: Medium

Comments: The species as a whole is not seriously threatened, but the typical subspecies may be secure mostly where it is not native. The monarch appears to be doing well or even increasing in may places, but not in its core North American range. The native eastern North American populations are in trouble at their overwintering grounds. Overwintering habitats in Mexico are primarily in a few hectares each and have been under pressure from logging, agricultural and urban development. California based populations are declining more due to problems in the breeding areas. Climate change is emerging as a current, rather than an expected, threat in Mexico, California, and Texas at least. There was some improvement in the eastern, as well as western, USA in 2010 so at least populations can still respond quickly to temporarily good conditions. Regardless of what happens in North America this species is at virtually no risk of global extinction in the forseeable future.

Monarch butterfly journey north ¹⁸

Every fall, a magical event takes place in the animal world. Perhaps traveling over your own head right now--or clustered by the hundreds in a nearby tree--the annual monarch butterfly migration to Mexico is underway.

Sources and Credits

(c) TexasEagle, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.flickr.com/photos/10789832@N00/2972095940
(c) Forest & Kim Starr, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.biolib.cz/IMG/GAL/52364.jpg
(c) Ted Kropiewnicki, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://tolweb.org/tree/ToLimages/monarch(danausplexippus)male2a.jpg
(c) 1999 California Academy of Sciences, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=256&one=T
(c) 1999 California Academy of Sciences, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=275&one=T
(c) 1999 California Academy of Sciences, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=258&one=T
(c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danaus_plexippus
(c) University of Alberta Museums, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/31887208
(c) University of Alberta Museums, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/31887207
(c) Unknown, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/13133366
(c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31389722
(c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28797786
(c) John Hilty, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/32697658
(c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28797785
(c) Leslie Ries, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/19607474
(c) University of Alberta Museums, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/31887205
(c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28797776
Public Domain, http://eol.org/data_objects/22465439

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