Watchable Wildlife: Monarch Butterfly
Monarch butterfly - Danaus plexippus
Photo: Susan Shafer
Did You Know?
- Monarchs, like all other butterflies and moths, go through egg, larval (caterpillar), chrysalis (pupa), and adult stages.
- Monarch caterpillars ingest milkweed that contains a toxic compound. The presence of this toxin is used by the monarch butterfly as a defense against predators.
- Other butterflies, such as the Viceroy, mimic the Monarch's colors to pretend that they are also toxic to predators.
- In late August, masses of monarch butterflies begin an epic migration stretching thousands of miles from areas across the United States and as far north as Canada (east of the Rocky Mountains) to overwinter in mountaintops of Central Mexico.
What to Watch for:
Size:
3-5 inch wingspan
Appearance:
The wings look like stained glass, with reddish-orange coloration and conspicuous black veins bordered in black and speckled with white dots. Males have thinner veins with a black dot on the inside of the hind wings; females have thicker veins and lack the dot.
The chrysalis (cocoon) and caterpillar
of the Monarch butterfly.
Photo: Susan Shafer
Where to Watch:
Monarch butterflies are found in open meadows and fields that usually contain a variety of wildflowers including milkweed, coastal beaches with dunes, and man-made butterfly gardens.
When to Watch:
Throughout spring and summer in the daytime.
More Information about Monarch Butterflies:
Attracting Wildlife to Your Yard (Butterfly Gardens)
Follow and track the Monarch Butterflies migration journey online by visiting the Journey North website (leaves DEC website)
The Viceroy butterfly looks a lot like the
Monarch but has a U-shaped black line
on its lower wing that the Monarch
doesn't have.
Photo: Dr.Gordon E.Robertson
The Best Places to See a Monarch Butterfly:
- Albany Pine Bush Preserve, Albany County
- Central Park, Manhattan, NY (leaves DEC website)
- Fire Island National Seashore, Suffolk County
- Five Rivers Environmental Education Center, Albany County
- Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge, Tonawanda and Oak Orchard Wildlife Management Area, Orleans and Genessee Counties
- Rogers Environmental Education Center, Chenango County
Return to the Watchable Wildlife main page