Monarch

The monarch butterfly or simply monarch is a milkweed butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. Other common names, depending on region, include milkweed, common tiger, wanderer, and black-veined brown.

Average Size: wingspan of about four inches Monarch butterflies are one of the most recognizable species of butterflies in North America. They are widely known for their incredible migratory pattern. They travel between 1,200 and 2,800 miles or more to their overwintering spots in Mexico and Southern California from the northern United States and Canada. Flying up to 2,500 miles from the US and Canada where they breed, all the way down to the forests in central Mexico where they hibernate, the monarch's migratory pattern is the most highly evolved of any known species of their kind.

Live For: 2 to 6 weeks

Lifespan: up to 8 months

Population: 1,914 in 2021

Extinction Status: Not extinct

Scientific Name: Danaus plexippus