# Monarch

*Danaus plexippus*

The migratory generation, known as the 'super generation,' lives up to eight times longer than its parents to complete the epic journey south.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Nymphalidae › Danaus
- **IUCN Red List status:** Endangered
- **Population trend:** decreasing
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Meadows, grasslands, prairies, agricultural fields, urban gardens, and coniferous overwintering forests.
- **Diet:** Caterpillars feed exclusively on milkweed (Asclepias); adults consume nectar from a wide variety of wildflowers.
- **Range:** North America, Central America, South America, Caribbean, Australia, Pacific Islands, Western Europe
- **Size:** Wingspan of 8.9 to 10.2 cm (3.5 to 4 inches); weight of about 0.5 grams.
- **Lifespan:** 2 to 5 weeks for breeding generations; 6 to 8 months for the overwintering migratory generation.
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Habitat fragmentation, widespread herbicide use destroying milkweed, climate change, and deforestation in Mexican overwintering sites.
- **Safe to approach?:** Completely harmless to observe. Avoid handling to prevent damaging their delicate wing scales. Do not ingest, as they accumulate toxins from milkweed that make them poisonous to predators. Maintain a respectful distance of a few feet to allow them to feed undisturbed.

## About

The monarch butterfly or simply monarch ( Danaus plexippus ) is a milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae) in the family Nymphalidae. Other common names depending on region include milkweed , common tiger , wanderer , and black veined brown . It may be the most familiar North American butterfly, and is considered an iconic pollinator species. 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) The viceroy butterfly is similar in color and...

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/62940c6b-42d9-4b77-98c2-50745382bc76
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/48662
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danaus plexippus
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/111043173/medium.jpg (Christine Young, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.