U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

The Monarch Butterfly

(Danaus plexippus)

Together we can save this majestic species

Introduction

Monarch butterflies are one of the markings are a dull orange, while monarchs begin migrating they will most recognizable and remarkable males have a much brighter orange mate and females will look for butterfly species in North America. coloration and a black spot on each milkweed plants on which to lay their Their bright coloration serves to warn hind wing. Caterpillars have yellow, eggs. The adults will live for only a predators that they are poisonous. white, and black bands. few weeks. The eggs will hatch into Monarchs become poisonous by catepillars after four days. The ingesting milkweed, their larval host catepillars then feed on the milkweed plant. Monarch females lay eggs on plants over two weeks as they grow. the underside of milkweed leaves. The Once they have reached the eggs hatch into caterpillars that eat the appropriate size, the catepillars will leaves, accumulating poisons that will form a chrysalis and transform into a remain in their bodies for the butterfly after two more weeks. This remainder of their lives. These new generation of monarchs will extraordinary butterflies migrate continue north, repeating this cycle thousands of miles over multiple Female monarch. Photo by Michael every few weeks until the final generations. Unfortunately, due to O’Brien generation of monarchs migrate back increased use of pesticides and habitat to Mexico where they will overwinter, loss, this incredible species’ survival multiple generations after their is now at risk. forefathers migrated.

Threats to survival

Monarchs face a number of threats to their survival. Monarchs can only successfully reproduce using plants in Male monarch. Photo by Michael the milkweed family. Loss of these O’Brien plants means the loss of the monarch. Another serious threat is loss of habitat, both in their summer breeding range and in their overwintering range. Additionally, the increased use of herbicides and pesticides can kill caterpillers and butterflies as well as the milkweed plants. Futhermore, a

monarch parasite, Ophryocystis Monarch roost. Photo by Michael Caterpillar. Photo by USFWS NJFO O’Brien elektroscirrha (OE), causes Life Cycle disfigurement, weakness, and Description untimately death. It is passed between males and females during mating as Monarch butterflies are bright orange Monarch butterflies that occur in New well as from parent to offspring. This with black and white markings and a Jersey overwinter in Mexico before parasite occurs naturally in monarch wingspan of 3 ½ -4 inches. Female migrating north in early spring. Once U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service www.fws.gov/northeast/njfieldoffice/index/.html August 2015 populations but human activities, such Monarch mimics as unknowingly distributing captive reared monarchs that are infected, can Monarchs are North America’s most help to spread this parasite. If you are identifable butterfly, but there is raising monarchs it is best to wait a another butterfly that is easily generation before distributing them to confused with it. The viceroy butterfly ensure that the population is not mimics the monarch’s coloring as a infected. way of protecting itselt. By mimicing monarch’s coloring, viceroys trick How you can help predators into believing that they are poisonous too. The easiest way to tell Plant milkweed Butterflyweed prefers well-drained soils. these two species apart is to look for Monarchs cannot survive without Photo by Greg Kramos the horizontal band on the bottom of milkweed. Female monarchs only lay the viceroy’s wings. Create pollinator habitat their eggs on milkweed, which then serves as the food source for the Adult monarch butterflies are not as caterpillars. The most commonly and limited in their food sources as their easily obtained milkweed species caterpillar stage and will feed on a native to New Jersey are: common wide range of nectar plants. You do milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), swamp not need a lot of room to create your milkweed (A. incarnata), and own pollinator habitat, even just a few butterflyweed (A. tuberosa). It is best square feet is sufficient. Make sure that your garden is in a sunny spot to plant milkweed seeds in the fall, scattering them ¼- ½ inch apart and that has some shelter from wind. Plant Viceroy. Photo by Alex Galt, USFWS covering with a ¼ inch of soil. a variety of native nectar plants that have staggered bloom times so that How we can help the pollinators will have a food source throughout the breeding and migration The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Partners seasons. Remove non-native species for Fish and Wildlife program may to make room for more native plants. be able to help with large scale Consider converting lawn into habitat restoration projects on private pollinator habitat and try to use or public land that benefit monarchs. alternatives to herbicides and For more information on the Partners pesticides. program visit the New Jersey Field Office on the web at: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/njfield office/index.html

For additional information visit:

http://www.monarchjointventure.org/ Common milkweed prefers well drained soils. Photo by Amber Rhodes http://www.fws.gov/savethemonarch/

http://monarchwatch.org/

Rain gardens, like this one, are a great way to create pollinator habitat while also improving water quality. Photo by Swamp milkweed prefers damp, marshy Amber Rhodes areas. Photo by Tom Koerner

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service www.fws.gov/northeast/njfieldoffice/index/.html August 2015