The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), also called milkweed, common tiger, wanderer, black-veined brown, and simply monarch, is a species of milkweed butterfly that lives in North America and South America, but also parts of Europe, Oceania, and Southeast Asia. The migratory subspecies (Danaus plexippus plexippus) is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN, but the entire species in total is fine, being listed as least concern.
Being among the most familiar North American butterflies, it is known for its summer/fall migration, departing from Canada or the northern parts of the United States to Florida and Mexico. It covers thousands of miles, which is impressive for a butterfly. The colors of the wings consist of vibrant orange wings with black veins and a black border dotted with white spots. It is colored like that to warn predators that it is toxic. This insect is in fact toxic to digest because it feeds on the nectar of milkweeds, a genus of plant toxic to humans and other species. The viceroy butterfly (Limenitis archippus) mimics those patterns, but can be distinguished.
Like the other butterflies, the monarch undergoes complete metamorphosis. Its life cycle has four stages: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and butterfly. The caterpillars have distinct bands of yellow, black, and white, serving the same function applied to the adult. They feed on the leaves of milkweeds, making them also toxic.
The monarch butterfly is the state insect of Alabama, Idaho, Illinois, Minnesota, Texas, Vermont, and West Virginia.
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Jurassic World[]
DNA of the monarch butterfly was used by InGen for a coded trait.
