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Monarch Butterfly
Danaus plexippus
39.7732, -121.867
Field Notes
Description:
Monarch's range between 3 3/8 - 4 7/8 inches (8.6 - 12.4 cm) and this one was about 4 inches. Trying to figure out if it's a male or female is difficult because the differences are subtle. The upper side of the male is bright orange with wide black borders and black veins. The females Upper side is orange-brown with wide black borders and blurred black veins. Both sexes have white spots on borders and apex. I think this is a female but not 100% sure. Please comment if you know for sure.
Habitat:
This Monarch was feeding on some flowers in my back yard in a urban area. They prefer open habitats including fields, meadows, weedy areas, marshes, and roadsides.
They prefer a warm climate and even make a massive migration, flying thousands of miles south to hibernate along the California coast and in central Mexico.
Notes:
This is the first and only monarch butterfly I have seen in my flower beds for several years.
As I understand it, the monarch numbers have been declining, so preservation efforts are important for this species. One method of helping the numbers is to plant milk weed flowers. These are the plants the monarch lay their eggs on to feed on the leaves and the adult butterflies feed on the flowers.
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