Several orange-and-black monarch butterflies gather on bright yellow flowers among green leaves.

Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus plexippus) at Piedra Herrada, Valle de Bravo, Mexico.

Creator: Charles J. Sharp

Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0

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Species record

Monarch Butterfly

Danaus plexippus

Explore the Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) species record in The Ark Is Earth, including classification, habitat, distribution, conservation information, and sources.

Summary

The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is native to the Americas. Its caterpillars feed on milkweed, while adults take nectar from many flowering plants. Many North American monarchs migrate between breeding areas and overwintering sites: eastern populations travel to central Mexico, while western populations winter along the Pacific coast. Other monarch populations do not migrate, so migration is not universal.

Classification in this archive

  1. Kingdom: Animals
  2. Phylum: Arthropods
  3. Class: Insects
  4. Order: Butterflies and moths
  5. Family: Brush-footed butterflies
  6. Genus: Milkweed butterflies
  7. Species: Danaus plexippus

Habitat and distribution

Selected documented locations — not a complete species range.

Habitat
meadow, grassland, garden, prairie, field, roadside, marsh
Selected regions
North America
Selected countries
Canada, United States, Mexico

Conservation status

The Ark records: Least Concern.

Did you know?

  • Some monarchs travel thousands of kilometres during migration.

More images

A male monarch butterfly with orange-and-black patterned wings feeds on an orange Tithonia flower.

Male monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) on a Tithonia flower at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn, New York, USA.

Creator: Rhododendrites

Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0

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Sources and attribution