Monarch
Danaus plexippus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Danainae
Identification: Upperside of male is bright orange with wide black borders and black veins; hindwing has a patch of scent scales. Upperside of female is orange-brown with wide black borders and blurred black veins. Both sexes have white spots on borders and apex. The Viceroy butterfly (Limenitis archippus) is a Mullerian mimic; it has similar coloration and is also distasteful.
Wing Span: 3 3/8 - 4 7/8 inches (8.6 - 12.4 cm).
Life History: Adults warm up by basking dorsally (with their wings open and toward the sun). Females lay eggs singly under the host leaves; caterpillars eat leaves and flowers. Adults make massive migrations from August-October, flying thousands of miles south to hibernate along the California coast and in central Mexico. A few overwinter along the Gulf coast or south Atlantic coast. Along the way, Monarchs stop to feed on flower nectar and to roost together at night. At the Mexico wintering sites, butterflies roost in trees and form huge aggregations that may have millions of individuals. During the winter the butterflies may take moisture and flower nectar during warm days. Most have mated before they leave for the north in the spring, and females lay eggs along the way. Residents of tropical areas do not migrate but appear to make altitude changes during the dry season.
Flight: In North America during spring and summer there may be 1-3 broods in the north and 4-6 broods in the south. May breed all year in Florida, South Texas, and southeastern California.
Caterpillar Hosts: Milkweeds including common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), swamp milkweed (A. incarnata), and showy milkweed (A. speciosa); and milkweed vine in the tropics. Most milkweeds contain cardiac glycosides which are stored in the bodies of both the caterpillar and adult. These poisons are distasteful and emetic to birds and other vertebrate predators. After tasting a Monarch, a predator might associate the bright warning colors of the adult or caterpillar with an unpleasant meal, and avoid Monarchs in the future.
Adult Food: Nectar from all milkweeds. Early in the season before milkweeds bloom, Monarchs visit a variety of flowers including dogbane, lilac, red clover, lantana, and thistles. In the fall adults visit composites including goldenrods, blazing stars, ironweed, and tickseed sunflower.
Habitat: Many open habitats including fields, meadows, weedy areas, marshes, and roadsides.
Range: Southern Canada south through all of the United States, Central America, and most of South America. Also present in Australia, Hawaii, and other Pacific Islands.
Conservation: Overwintering sites in California and Mexico should be protected and conserved.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: Develop conservation and management plans for all wintering sites, migration corridors, and principal breeding areas.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 18575 verified sightings
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Observation date: Aug 01, 2024
Submitted by: ButtahflyEtn37354
Region: Monroe County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 30, 2024
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Observation date: Aug 21, 2024
Submitted by: pgrew1@unl.edu
Region: Penobscot County, Maine, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 30, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/august_22_2024.jpg?itok=noYBSEsB)
Observation date: Aug 22, 2024
Submitted by: Midway Station
Region: Cook County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 30, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_2113_two_monarchs.jpg?itok=lweIiNIL)
Observation date: Aug 25, 2024
Submitted by: psmith
Region: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 29, 2024
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Observation date: Aug 28, 2024
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 29, 2024
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Observation date: Aug 29, 2024
Submitted by: regina rochefort
Region: Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 29, 2024
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Observation date: Aug 28, 2024
Submitted by: tmlehman
Region: Allen County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 29, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/monarch_261.jpg?itok=ksU1fCc6)
Observation date: Aug 15, 2023
Submitted by: srhflsmck
Region: Missoula County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Aug 28, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_9666_monarch_holland_sand_prairie_8_24_2024.jpg?itok=9TNTqsxO)
Observation date: Aug 24, 2024
Submitted by: drmarc60223
Region: La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 26, 2024
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Observation date: Aug 22, 2024
Submitted by: BeaLaporte
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 26, 2024
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Observation date: Aug 26, 2024
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 26, 2024
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Observation date: Aug 26, 2024
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 26, 2024
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Observation date: Aug 26, 2024
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 26, 2024
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Observation date: Aug 26, 2024
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 26, 2024
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Observation date: Aug 14, 2024
Submitted by: BeaLaporte
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 26, 2024
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Observation date: Aug 21, 2024
Submitted by: sally herman
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 25, 2024
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Observation date: Aug 25, 2024
Submitted by: Ceebee3
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 25, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/2-monarch_-_70_petrova_ave_aug_23_2024_407pm.dscn1283.jpg?itok=i3iEk5x1)
Observation date: Aug 23, 2024
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 24, 2024
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Observation date: Aug 21, 2024
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 21, 2024
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Observation date: Aug 12, 2024
Submitted by: Blue Swallowtail
Region: Adams County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Aug 19, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/2024_08_10_monarch_common_milkweed.jpg?itok=n0c7pify)
Observation date: Aug 10, 2024
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 19, 2024
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Observation date: Aug 13, 2024
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 19, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/2024_08_16_monarch_fall_phlox.jpg?itok=4FM3LJij)
Observation date: Aug 16, 2024
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 19, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_0744_0.jpeg?itok=2RGD4-5u)
Observation date: Aug 15, 2024
Submitted by: Laughingmantis
Region: Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 16, 2024
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