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Common Name: Monarch butterfly
Latin Name: Danaus Plexippus
French Name: Papillon Monarque
A Monarch butterfly is reddish-orange with black vein like markings on its wings. They have white dots and a black border around their wings.
What does it sound like? People call it a waterfall, because the wings flapping together of a whole bunch of butterflies make the sound of a waterfall.
First monarch caterpillars are very small and pale green or grayish white almost appearing translucent. As they grow bigger they develop yellow, white, and black stripes, with a pair of tentacles on both ends of their bodies.
Photo by: Jenn McCallum
The plants in our space that are meant to support species:
Swamp milkweed (Asclepiade de la marche)
New england Aster (Aster de la Nouvelle-Angleterre)
Wild Bergamot (Bergamont sauvage)
Purple Coneflower (Echinacee pourpre)
How do these plants help the monarch butterfly:
These plants provide food for monarch butterflies, and some of these plants like milkweed act as a host for the butterfly.
Do they migrate? Where do they go?
Each fall, the monarch butterfly heads out on a journey lasting 4 000 - 5 000 kilometers, from Southern Canada all the way to the mountain forests located in Mexico. This is one of the longest insect migrations in the world!
Why we should care about this species:
The monarch is a powerful insect, it symbols resilience in urban environments. In Mexico, millions of monarchs return on November 1st and 2nd, which in Mexico is El Dia de los Muertos. Also known as ‘the Day of the Dead'. The tradition holds that monarch butterflies are the returning spirits of loved ones who have passed on. This insect is important to Mexicans because they think of them as their loved ones. They also contribute to the health of our planet, because they pollinate a lot of different types of wildflowers. The monarch is a food source to birds, small animals, and other insects as well.
Is this species at risk? How can we help protect it?
Monarchs are threatened by deforestation in Mexico, as well as disruptions to their migration due to climate change. Another reason that they are at risk is the loss of the plants they eat (milkweed, all nectar producing plants) along the route they take while migrating. You can help this species by planting milkweed and plants that are native to your area that produce pollen. Be sure to garden organically to make the impacts on monarchs and their food smaller. Educate others on how important they are to make those people want to help.
Habitat needs of the stakeholder:
In Canada, Monarch butterflies are most likely to be found in Southern Ontario and Quebec because of milkweed being widespread and abundant.
What does it eat?
Monarch butterflies will eat milkweed plants, and plants that produce nectar.
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