One of the most recognizable butterflies today is the monarch butterfly. Its distinctive orange and black wings make it easy to pick out among the plants and flowers. Females tend to be a little smaller than males and have darker veins in their wings. Males usually have a black spot in the middle of their hind wings.
There are two sub-species of monarch butterflies. The Danaus p. plexippus is a migratory subspecies that generally populates North America. The other subspecies Danus p. megalippe is non-migratory and is found generally close to the equator in places like Florida, the Caribbean and Central America.
The start of the annual migration will commence sometime between the start of August and the years first frost. The monarch's annual migration does tend to be long, specifically compared to the monarchs life span of about 2 months. Northward travel then tends to occur in the spring, when the temperature is noticeably warmer.
Monarch butterflies are almost unique in the insect world as they can survive transatlantic travel. When the wind conditions are correct Monarchs can even be found in Great Britain. Monarchs are also found in Hawaii and New Zealand.
Monarch butterflies are actually poisonous to many animals. They store poison found in milkweed plants. When they are caterpillars they eat the milkweed plant and after they turn into a butterfly they still store this poison. The bright orange of their wings is a danger sign, warning any predator that they will get very ill or even die from eating the monarch butterfly. Other butterflies like the Viceroy have evolved to resemble the Monarch has a survival tactic.
If you want to attract Monarchs to your garden you will need to have nectar bearing plants and host plants available. Milkweed plants are favored by the monarch to lay their eggs as well as a food source for the caterpillars when they are born. Monarchs at one point were becoming endangered due to deforestation. Today there are laws in place to protect the Monarchs wintering grounds.
A brief overview of the Monarchs mating cycle is as follows. The female prepares herself for breeding and the breeding occurs. The baby Monarchs actually develop in the female for a period of nine months. The eggs are laid and the caterpillars emerge. Once the child is born it is cared for by its parents until if turns into a full butterfly, at about 13, in butterfly years. Once it gets its first pair of wings it ventures out on its own to form its own cocoon.
There are some natural predators to the Monarch, mainly birds, which can tolerate the Monarch's poison. Grackles, Cardinals, Scrub Jays, Pinyon Jays, Sparrows, Robins, and Brown Thrushes can all eat Monarchs. Different species of Asian ladybugs will feast on monarch eggs and larva. - 16492
There are two sub-species of monarch butterflies. The Danaus p. plexippus is a migratory subspecies that generally populates North America. The other subspecies Danus p. megalippe is non-migratory and is found generally close to the equator in places like Florida, the Caribbean and Central America.
The start of the annual migration will commence sometime between the start of August and the years first frost. The monarch's annual migration does tend to be long, specifically compared to the monarchs life span of about 2 months. Northward travel then tends to occur in the spring, when the temperature is noticeably warmer.
Monarch butterflies are almost unique in the insect world as they can survive transatlantic travel. When the wind conditions are correct Monarchs can even be found in Great Britain. Monarchs are also found in Hawaii and New Zealand.
Monarch butterflies are actually poisonous to many animals. They store poison found in milkweed plants. When they are caterpillars they eat the milkweed plant and after they turn into a butterfly they still store this poison. The bright orange of their wings is a danger sign, warning any predator that they will get very ill or even die from eating the monarch butterfly. Other butterflies like the Viceroy have evolved to resemble the Monarch has a survival tactic.
If you want to attract Monarchs to your garden you will need to have nectar bearing plants and host plants available. Milkweed plants are favored by the monarch to lay their eggs as well as a food source for the caterpillars when they are born. Monarchs at one point were becoming endangered due to deforestation. Today there are laws in place to protect the Monarchs wintering grounds.
A brief overview of the Monarchs mating cycle is as follows. The female prepares herself for breeding and the breeding occurs. The baby Monarchs actually develop in the female for a period of nine months. The eggs are laid and the caterpillars emerge. Once the child is born it is cared for by its parents until if turns into a full butterfly, at about 13, in butterfly years. Once it gets its first pair of wings it ventures out on its own to form its own cocoon.
There are some natural predators to the Monarch, mainly birds, which can tolerate the Monarch's poison. Grackles, Cardinals, Scrub Jays, Pinyon Jays, Sparrows, Robins, and Brown Thrushes can all eat Monarchs. Different species of Asian ladybugs will feast on monarch eggs and larva. - 16492
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To learn more about different types of butterflies and how to attract them to your garden, visit http://www.homebutterflygarden.com.
