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Insect Identification > Description of the Monarch Butterfly
 

Details of the Monarch Butterfly

CATEGORY:
Butterfly or Moth

COMMON NAME:
"Monarch Butterfly"

SCIENTIFIC NAME:
(Danaus plexippus)

TAXONOMY:
(View Orders)
Kingdom: Animalia
  Phylum: Arthropoda
   Class:Insecta
    Order: Lepidoptera
     Family: Danaidae
      Genus: Danaus
       Species: plexippus

OTHER NAME(S):
King Billy


CHARACTERISTICS: Monarch Butterflies are a common sight throughout North America, with the exception of the extreme northern regions. Their orange and black coloring, mixed with a little white, make them instantly recognizable. Yellow and brown can also be found on the wings. Length for the species measures in at about 88mm to 100mm.

Like all butterflies, the Monarch begins as a caterpillar, feeding on foliage and flower buds where available. Monarchs tend to gravitate towards open meadows or along the road, traversing the terrain in the search for the much favored milkweed leaves. Appearance is from May to early fall and a single Monarch can cover thousands of miles of flight in one season.

The Viceroy Butterfly appears very similar to the Monarch Butterfly with slight variations in both pattern and color. A most discerning eye should be able to tell the two apart.


North American Reach
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
 
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Picture of Monarch Butterfly
Courtesy of Barry T of Canton, OH


More Pictures of the Monarch Butterfly:
Pic of the Monarch Butterfly Image of the Monarch Butterfly
Images @InsectIdentification.org • Hover over each image to view submission credit

     

 

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