Migration Illustrated
PRESENTS
Monarch Migration
Tom Leeson, Pat Leeson, Tom Kitchin, and Victoria Hurst
Danaus plexippus
The Monarch butterfly is one of the most easily recognized insect species, with its bright orange wings contrasted by black borders and spots. Monarchs are known for their spectacular, natural, annual migration during which time these butterflies can travel as far as three thousand miles each year.
Following the last ice age, Monarchs in Mexico and the Southern United States expanded their range to reach as far north as southern Canada. Every autumn, these determined pollinators migrate south to winter on the lower coast of California and in the mountains of central Mexico.
Monarch caterpillars
The larva of Danaus plexippus hatch from eggs laid on the underside of the leaves of milkweed, their host plant and only food source.
Developing into caterpillars, they feed almost constantly, growing and molting multiple times over a roughly two-week period before transforming into a chrysalis.
While their larvae eat only milkweed, adult monarchs feed on pollen from various flowering plants. The 3000-mile southern migration occurs in the fall, and their offspring make the return migration in the spring.
Migratory monarch butterflies are currently listed as vulnerable due to a long-term decline in their population. Additional monitoring and protection is needed to ensure the survival of this striking insect.
The Long and Short of It
Wingspan: 7 to 10 centimeters (3 to 4 inches)
Weight: 0.25 to 0.75 g (0.0088 to 0.0264 oz)
Lifespan: 2 to 6 weeks (Early generations)
7 to 9 months (Migrating generation)
Breeding: Early Spring to Mid-Summer
Photographs by Wildlife and Nature Photographers
Tom Leeson, Pat Leeson, Tom Kitchin, and Victoria Hurst
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A photographic journey along the migration routes of the world’s most fascinating species with some of the wildest road warriors this side of the universe. In color and in style.
