Knowra Monarch butterfly Monarch butterfly The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is an orange-and-black milkweed butterfly. In North America, several generations travel between breeding grounds and seasonal overwintering sites.
Milkweed : Plants in the former genus Asclepias that produce milky latex and often contain toxic cardiac glycosides. Monarch caterpillars feed on milkweed, acquiring compounds that help deter predators.
Monarch butterfly migration : The seasonal movement of monarch butterflies between breeding areas and overwintering sites. This multi-generation journey is the monarch’s best-known behavior.
Danaus plexippus : The scientific species name of the monarch butterfly. It identifies the species whose populations and migrations are described here.
Monarch butterfly conservation : Efforts to protect monarch populations, migration routes, breeding habitat, and overwintering sites. Conservation targets include milkweed availability and protection of winter forests.
Viceroy butterfly : A North American butterfly, Limenitis archippus, with orange-and-black wings resembling those of the monarch. Its resemblance once supported a simple mimicry explanation, but both species have defenses.
Cardenolide : A class of steroid compounds that can disrupt the sodium-potassium pump in animal cells. Some cardenolides from milkweed persist in monarch tissues and contribute to their chemical defense.
Monarch butterfly biosphere reserve : A protected area in central Mexico that includes major overwintering forests of eastern North American monarchs. Millions of migrants cluster in its mountain forests during winter.
Carl Linnaeus : The Swedish naturalist who established binomial nomenclature and described thousands of species. Linnaeus formally named the monarch as Papilio plexippus in 1758.
Monarch butterfly population decline : The long-term reduction in monitored monarch populations, especially eastern and western North American groups. Declines have prompted concern about habitat loss, pesticides, climate, and migration risks.
Queen butterfly : A milkweed butterfly, Danaus gilippus, found in the Americas and closely related to the monarch. The queen shares the monarch’s genus and host-plant association but not its famous North American migration.
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