Monarch Butterflies Lily Dickinson

Classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Lepidoptera Family: Danaidae Genus: Danaus Species: Danaus plexippus

Where Monarchs live Monarch butterflies are not able to survive the cold winters so they migrate each autumn to escape the cold weather. If the monarch lives in the Eastern states, it will migrate to Mexico and hibernate in oyamel fir trees. If the monarch butterfly lives west of the Rocky Mountains, then it will hibernate in and around Pacific Grove, California in eucalyptus trees. The migration can span over 3,000 miles!

What they eat When they are caterpillars, they only eat milkweed. Adult females will only lay their eggs on milkweed plants.

Adaptions Monarch Butterflies develop very important adaptions. A main adaption they have developed is warning coloration and toxicity. The coloration helps the protect from potential predators.

Populations are Declining Loss of habitat in the summer breeding grounds could be contributing to the decline in monarch numbers. Illegal logging and a recent outbreak of bark beetles damage the oyamel forests in which the monarchs overwinter.

Work Cited http://www.monarch-butterfly.com/ http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/monarc h-butterfly/ http://monarchwatch.org/bring-back-the- monarchs/campaign/the-details