Monarch Butterfly
Scientific Name: Danaus plexippus Found in Alabama: Statewide Diet: Herbivore (eats plants) |
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Monarch Butterfly on Milkweed Flower Justin Fritscher, USFWS Click on image to enlarge it |
Learn more about…
CLASSIFICATION | ||
What type of animal am I?
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The Monarch Butterfly is an INSECT! |
IDENTIFICATION TIPS | ||
Monarch Butterfly on Clover
Wikipedia – Kenneth Dwain Harrelson Click on image to enlarge it |
ADULT BUTTERFLY | |
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MALE |
Image courtesy of www.MonarchWatch.org. |
FEMALE |
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EGGS
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CATERPILLAR LARVAE
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CHRYSALIS
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Monarch Egg |
Monarch Caterpillar |
Monarch Chrysalis |
ADAPTATIONS |
PHYSICAL ADAPTATIONS |
Monarchs use the milkweed toxin as a defense from predators: |
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Monarchs have long straw-like mouthparts to collect nectar from flowers: |
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Butterflies have compound eyes: |
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BEHAVIORAL ADAPTATIONS | |
Monarchs are diurnal: | |
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Monarchs migrate between the U.S. & Mexico: | |
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Monarch butterflies lay their eggs (on left) in the U.S.
Sara Bright, Butterflies of Alabama Alabama Butterfly Atlas Click on image to enlarge it |
Monarchs roost in mountains in Mexico during the winter |
LIFE CYCLE | ||
Stages of a Monarch's Life Cycle
Courtney Celley, Tina Shaw, & Joanna Gilkeson, USFWS Click on image to enlarge it |
Metamorphosis is the process of physical change that some animals go through as they transform from a larvae into an adult. To view the US Fish and Wildlife Service video of a monarch caterpillar changing into its chrysalis form, |
Four Life Stages of the Monarch Butterfly | |||
1. Egg: |
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2. Larvae: |
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3. Pupa: |
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4. Adult: |
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Life Span: |
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NATURAL Habitat Needs |
ADULTS | YOUNG |
Food |
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Water |
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Shelter |
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Places to Raise Young |
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BACKYARD Habitat Needs |
ADULTS | YOUNG |
Food |
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Water |
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Shelter |
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Places to Raise Young |
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ECOLOGICAL ROLE | |
Animals play an important ecological role in the health of habitats and ecosystems. | |
Food Source: |
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Pollinator: |
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Conservation Ambassador: |
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INFORMATION SOURCES FOR THIS SPECIES
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