Monarch Butterfly:
There has been a 64 per cent increase in the presence of the Monarch butterfly in Mexican overwintering forests during the 2025-2026 seasons.
- Monarch Butterfly is known by scientists as Danaus plexippus, which in Greek literally means “sleepy transformation.”
- Adult monarch butterflies possess two pairs of brilliant orange-red wings, featuring black veins and white spots along the edges.
- Males, who possess distinguishing black dots along the veins of their wings, are slightly bigger than females.
- It is found in in North America, Central America, and South America, Australia, Hawaii, India, and other locations.
- Habitat: Gardens, Managed Corridors, Agricultural Areas, and Natural and Restored Areas.
- Each adult butterfly lives only about four to five weeks.
- The mating period occurs in the spring, just prior to migration from the overwintering sites.
- Milkweed is the only plant on which monarchs lay their eggs and the only source of food for baby caterpillars
- They travel from the northeast United States, and southeast Canada to the mountain forests in central Mexico
- Threats: Illegal logging, land development, loss of milkweed plants, and climate change, all of which affect its habitat and migration.
