Animal Profiles
Insects

Butterfly

Lepidoptera

Living

Living individuals or members of this group exist today. This does not mean they are safe from extinction.

Butterflies have diverse life histories. This account follows the monarch (Danaus plexippus), whose orange wings and milkweed-feeding caterpillars are familiar across the Americas.

Danaus plexippus, the representative described in this account.

Danaus plexippus, the representative described in this account.

Thomas Bresson · CC BY

At a glance

Location
Monarchs breed in open country where milkweeds grow.
Habitat
Grassland, Temperate forest
Diet
Nectarivore
Food
Adults drink flower nectar, while caterpillars chew milkweed leaves.

Classification

Common name
Butterfly
Browse group
Insects
Scientific name or taxon
Lepidoptera
Taxon rank
order
Order
Lepidoptera
Source classification
Insecta

Taxonomy checked against GBIF. For breeds and hybrids, this describes the listed parent taxon.

Three things to know

  • Caterpillars feed on milkweed.
  • Adults drink nectar.
  • Some populations migrate seasonally.

Habitat and range

Monarchs breed in open country where milkweeds grow. Some North American populations travel to sheltered wintering areas in Mexico or coastal California; their movements do not describe every butterfly.

Appearance and adaptations

Orange wings carry black veins and borders dotted with white. Caterpillars acquire defensive chemicals from their milkweed food, linking the butterfly's appearance to its life history.

Diet and behaviour

Adults drink flower nectar, while caterpillars chew milkweed leaves. After growing through the caterpillar stage, each animal transforms within a chrysalis before emerging with wings.

Sources

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