Monarch butterfly, macro, with greenery and yellow blooms

🦋 Monarch Butterflies 🦋

There's lots to know about these beautiful creatures

The monarch butterfly or simply monarch (Danaus plexippus) is a milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae) in the family Nymphalidae.[4] Other common names, depending on region, include milkweed, common tiger, wanderer, and black-veined brown.[5] It may be the most familiar North American butterfly, and is considered an iconic pollinator species.[6] Its wings feature an easily recognizable black, orange, and white pattern, with a wingspan of 8.9–10.2 cm (3+1⁄2–4 in)[7] A Müllerian mimic, the viceroy butterfly, is similar in color and pattern, but is markedly smaller and has an extra black stripe across each hindwing. Read more of this article at Wikipedia

Monarch migration

Some monarchs migrate great distances and need four generations to complete the trip! Other species travel shorter distances and some don't travel at all. This map shows monarch migration in the US and Mexico:

Map showing monarch migration in Mexico and the United States

They might be headed your way!

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Coded by Marla

Image credits: headline-free image, ID pexels-pixabay-67544.jpg; migration map: US National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/pollinators/migratingmonarchs.htm