Living Beings
    Source-identified Danaus plexippus; Documentary organism photograph. Framed for display
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    Danaus plexippus MHNT.jpg · Resized and converted to WebP for display. Documentary organism photograph. Didier Descouens · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Field guide · species

    Monarch Butterfly

    Danaus plexippus (Linnaeus, 1758)

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    AnimaliaInsectaLepidopteraNymphalidae

    Orange wings crossed by dark veins make the monarch familiar, but its life is closely tied to milkweed. Caterpillars feed on these plants, while adult butterflies visit flowers for nectar.

    Public research profile · final editorial review pending.

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    Tree of lifeScientific lineage
    1. LifeLife
    2. DomainEukaryota
    3. KingdomAnimalia
    4. PhylumArthropoda
    5. ClassInsecta
    6. OrderLepidoptera
    7. FamilyNymphalidae
    8. GenusDanaus
    9. SpeciesDanaus plexippus
    Advanced classification

    Complete source lineage, including intermediate ranks. The standard view uses Life and the eight principal ranks.

    1. cellular organisms cellular root
    2. Eukaryota domain
    3. Opisthokonta clade
    4. Metazoa kingdom
    5. Eumetazoa clade
    6. Bilateria clade
    7. Protostomia clade
    8. Ecdysozoa clade
    9. Panarthropoda clade
    10. Arthropoda phylum
    11. Mandibulata clade
    12. Pancrustacea clade
    13. Altocrustacea clade
    14. Allotriocarida clade
    15. Hexapoda subphylum
    16. Insecta class
    17. Dicondylia clade
    18. Pterygota subclass
    19. Neoptera infraclass
    20. Eumetabola clade
    21. Endopterygota cohort
    22. Aparaglossata clade
    23. Panorpida clade
    24. Amphiesmenoptera superorder
    25. Lepidoptera order
    26. Glossata suborder
    27. Neolepidoptera infraorder
    28. Heteroneura parvorder
    29. Ditrysia clade
    30. Obtectomera clade
    31. Papilionoidea superfamily
    32. Nymphalidae family
    33. Danainae subfamily
    34. Danaini tribe
    35. Danaina subtribe
    36. Danaus genus
    37. Danaus subgenus
    38. Danaus plexippus species
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    Physical traits

    Adults have orange-and-black wings with pale marginal spots. Caterpillars have contrasting light and dark bands.

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    Habitat and range

    Breeding habitat needs milkweed and adult nectar resources. Migratory populations also require suitable overwintering sites.

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    Diet and nutrition

    Larvae eat milkweed foliage; adults take nectar. These are different feeding roles within one life cycle.

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    Behavior and activity

    Some populations make seasonal migrations involving several generations. Other populations are more resident.

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    Reproduction and life cycle

    An egg hatches into a caterpillar, followed by a chrysalis and then the winged adult. Migratory generations differ in seasonal behavior.

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    Geographic distribution

    The species occurs in the Americas and established populations occur elsewhere. The famous North American migration does not describe every population.

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    Ecological role

    Milkweed chemistry links caterpillars, plants and predators; adults participate in flower-visiting communities.

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    Distinctive adaptations

    Warning coloration and chemicals obtained from larval food can reduce predation.

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    Conservation

    Loss of breeding and overwintering habitat and changing climatic conditions are concerns. Species-wide and migratory-population assessments should not be conflated.

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    Evidence

    Sources

    Connected life

    No reviewed ecological connections in the collection yet.

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