Monarch Butterfly
About the Monarch Butterfly
The most famous migratory insect. Eastern populations travel up to 4,800 km from Canada to central Mexico each autumn. Their orange-black coloring signals toxicity to predators - caterpillars accumulate cardiac glycosides from milkweed. Population has declined 80% over 20 years due to habitat loss. Four generations complete one annual migration cycle. No single individual makes the entire round trip.
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