Breakfast, lunch and dinner… What do Monarchs eat?
The Milkweed plant (Asclepias) is important for the Monarch butterfly. When Monarchs start out as caterpillars, they only eat the leaves of the Milkweed plant. After they change into butterflies by the process of metamorphosis, they drink the nectar from the Milkweed plant and other flowering plants. Click here for a photo of common milkweed.

How much do they weigh? How big do they get?
Butterflies are very light. In fact, the average size for a Monarch is half a gram! Generally, the Monarchs wingspan will be between 3-4”.

How can something so lovely be poisonous?
When the Monarch caterpillar eats the milkweed plant, it is ingesting toxins called cardiac glycosides that cause the caterpillar and butterfly to taste bad to their predators. How toxic the butterfly and caterpillars become depends on how much toxin was in the milkweed plant they ate. Some plants naturally have more toxin than others making some Monarchs more distasteful than others..

How do predators know the Monarchs taste bad?
The colors of the Monarch, orange and black, warn their potential predators that they are poisonous. It only takes one mouthful to prevent their predators from eating anymore Monarchs.

Are there Monarchs anywhere else in the world besides the North American Continent?
Yes, Monarchs can be found in other places such as New Zealand and Australia.

Is there a way to tell the difference between a male and a female Monarch butterfly?
You need to look closely at the wings to differentiate between a male and a female. The males have a black ‘scent patch’ in the middle of the hind wing and the females do not. (http://www.monarchwatch.org/biology/sexing.htm)

Are Monarchs the only butterflies that migrate?
Generally speaking, Monarchs west of the Rockies head for the California coast, while those east of the Rockies head for Mexico. Recently however there has been some question about whether some western Monarchs end up in Mexico. Not all butterflies migrate, which make the Monarch even more intriguing!

Are Monarchs an endangered species?
Monarchs are not endangered, but it is said their migratory path is at risk. Since Monarchs depend on specific plants to lay their eggs on, feed on and overwinter, they are susceptible to threats such as habitat loss and environmental changes.

DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT MONARCHS? ASK IT!