Ever seen on of those orange and black butterflies? Well, that's a Monarch Butterfly. It's the mostly known butterfly in North America, and it's famous for its unbelievable migration, it migrates all the way to Mexico in the fall! Why it migrates is because of the same reason lots of animals do!-because it's getting cold! [brrrrrrrrrr.]It's scientific name is Danaus plexippus. The reason why it has it's bright color is to warn predators of its bad taste.
The egg is only found on species of Milkweed, which is also known as the host plant. It leaves cone-shaped, ivory-colored eggs on the host plant. It's Nectar plants are Milkweed, Asters, Red Clover, Zinnia, Cosmos, Lantana, Pentas, and Daisies. It's cocoon is green, smooth, dotted with gold, and crowned with a gold circle. As a caterpillar it is white with yellow and black stripes and it is about two inches. It's average wingspan is 4-6 inches.
