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Monarch

(Danaus plexippus)

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Conservation • Description • Habitat • Ecology • Distribution • Taxonomy

Conservation Status

Photo by Mike Poeppe

IUCN Red List

LC - Least Concern

On 7/21/2022, the IUCN reported that the monarch butterfly would be listed as Threatened. As of 3/3/2024, the list has yet to be updated with this change.

NatureServe

N5B - Secure Breeding, N2N3N - Imperiled to Vulnerable Nonbreeding

S5B - Secure Breeding

Minnesota

not listed

Species in Greatest Conservation Need

Description

Monarch is a large, widely recognized, migratory butterfly.

Adults have a wingspan of 3⅜″ to 4¼″. The male is slightly larger than the female.

The upperside of both wings is orange with heavy black veins. The veins of the male are thinner and well defined and, while those of the female are thicker blurred.

The subapical area of the forewing has four small, pale orange spots and a small white or pale orange spot. They are arranged as two short lines of spots. The outer margin has a broad, black border with two submarginal rows of white spots. The leading edge (costal) margin has a broad, black border with five white spots near the middle. The inner margin has a broad black border on with no spots. There is no V-shaped indentation on the leading edge of the forewing cell.

The upper side of the hindwing has a broad, black border on the outer margin with two rows of white spots. There is no curved, black postmedial line. On males there is a small, black, oval, scent patch on a vein near the center of the hindwing.

The underside of both wings is similarly marked but the hindwing and the tip of the forewing are pale orange.

Seen from above, the body is black with four white spots and a short, thin, white vertical stripe on the thorax; and a thin, interrupted, white band separating each abdominal segment. The head, seen from above, is black, with a band of four white spots near the “neck” and a single white spot between the antennae bases. The spots on the thorax, with three of the head spots, form an inverted V shape. The eyes and legs are black.

The caterpillar is up to 2″ long, uniquely colored, and easily recognized. The thorax and abdomen are boldly banded in yellow, black, and white. The head is banded in yellow and black. There is a pair of long, black, fleshy, whip-like tentacles (filaments) extending from the upper (dorsal) surface of the second thoracic segment and a a similar but shorter pair extending from the eighth abdominal segment. The prolegs are black with a single, large, white spot.

Mature caterpillars are found from about June 20th to the end of August.

Size

3⅜″ to 4¼″ wingspan

Similar Species

Viceroy (Limenitis archippus) is smaller, with a wingspan of no more than 3¼″. There is a single row of white spots in the black border on the outer margin and a single row of 2 to 4 white spots in the subapical area. There is a curved, black, postmedial line on the hindwing.

Habitat

Fields, meadows, weedy areas, marshes, roadsides, and other open areas.

Ecology

Season

Three or four overlapping generations: Mid-May to late October in Minnesota

Migration

In September, adults of the third or fourth generation of the eastern population of Monarchs begin congregating in large numbers on the foliage of trees and shrubs near water. By the end of October they have left the state in a mass migration to their winter grounds. They arrive at one of thirteen small overwintering sites in the Sierra Madre mountains between 43 and 105 miles west of Mexico City, Mexico. The following spring the same butterflies begin a northward migration. They lay eggs that will become the first generation in northern Mexico and southern United States between late March and late April. First generation monarchs begin to arrive in Minnesota around mid-May.

Northward migrating butterflies arrive in Minnesota around mid-May. They are of a more recent (first) generation, rarely if ever the same individuals (third or fourth generation) that migrated south.

Behavior

Adults have a powerful flight and often sail with their wings held in a V-formation.

Life Cycle

The male patrols in search of receptive females. After mating, the female lays green eggs singly on the underside of host plant leaves. The larva molts four times before pupating. Mature caterpillars of the first brood are found beginning about June 20th. They pupate by July. Mature caterpillars of the second brood appear by August 15th. They pupate by the end of August.

Larva Hosts

Leaves and flowers of milkweed (Asclepias spp.). The caterpillar stores cardiac glycosides, present in all milkweeds, in its body. This makes the caterpillar and adult poisonous and unpalatable to potential predators.

Adult Food

Flower nectar

Distribution
		Sources 7, 21, 24, 27, 29, 30, 71, 75, 82, 83. Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (accessed through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Portal, bellatlas.umn.edu, 9/23/2025).
9/23/2025

Occurrence
Common and widespread

Taxonomy
Order	Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths)
Superfamily	Papilionoidea (butterflies)
Family	Nymphalidae (brush-footed butterflies)
Subfamily	Danainae (milkweed butterflies)
Tribe	Danaini (tiger and crow butterflies)
Subtribe	Danaina (tiger butterflies)
Genus	Danaus (tiger milkweed butterflies)
Subgenus	Danaus

Subordinate Taxa
Caribbean monarch (Danaus plexippus megalippe) migratory monarch (Danaus plexippus plexippus) monarch (Danaus plexippus leucogyne) monarch (Danaus plexippus tobagi) Puerto Rican monarch (Danaus plexippus portoricensis) southern monarch (Danaus plexippus nigrippus)

There are several subspecies of Monarch in Central America that do not migrate. Danaus plexippus plexippus is the only subspecies found outside of Central America.

Synonyms
Danaida plexippus Danais archippus ssp. fumosus Danaus americanus Danaus archippus Danaus curassavicae Danaus fumosus Danaus leucogyne Danaus megalippe Danaus menippe Danaus menippe ssp. americanus Danaus menippe ssp. nivosus Danaus misippiformis Danaus nigrippus Danaus nivosus Danaus obliterata Danaus pulchra Papilio archippus Papilio plexippus

Common Names
monarch monarch butterfly

Glossary

Filament

On plants: The thread-like stalk of a stamen which supports the anther. On Lepidoptera: One of a pair of long, thin, fleshy extensions extending from the thorax, and sometimes also from the abdomen, of a caterpillar.

Proleg

A fleshy structure on the abdomen of some insect larvae that functions as a leg, but lacks the five segments of a true insect leg.

Pupa

The life stage of some insects undergoing transformation. In caterpillars, the chrysalis.

Visitor Photos

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Gregory Gilman

The Female Monarch Delineated by the wing spots

Mark Teske
Do y'all like pictures like this/these? I don't want to bother you.

Bobbi Johnson

The monarch was in the last vestige of the Joe Pye Weed

Luciearl

Monarch caterpillar on milkweed.

Monarch caterpillar on milkweed.

Dan W. Andree
A Monarch on Blanket Flowers... Earlier in June I seen this Monarch at Frenchman’s Bluff SNA but since have only seen a pair mating earlier in June and one other one just flying across the prairie. While the prairie has really grown some of the main flower species are just budding out and last time I was out there maybe 5% of the wild bergamot were flowering. There is a lot of bergamot and other species but haven’t blossomed out really. That will change fast though. You can see the blanket flowers were blurred somewhat due to rather breezy too darn right windy at times on that day. The Monarch was a male because when its wings were open it had a dark blackish spot on each lower wing area. Fed for a very short time and flew off in the wind.

Monarch & Regal... I just put this photo write-up together. I felt since many are familiar with the monarch showing a monarch with a regal fritillary may get more people familiar with that species too. They are a couple of butterflies I seen on one of my outdoor adventures in Norman Co. Mn. I may put together a video in the future with both the monarch and regal fritillary butterflies in the same video. Since regals pretty much remain on prairies they are seen much less than the monarchs which can be found in a variety of areas. But the regal fritillary is quite beautiful particularly early in its life. They do get really tough looking and almost unrecognizable near the end of their life. But they certainly are worthy of preservation just like the monarch.

“Mating Monarchs” I seen several Monarchs at Frenchman’s Bluff SNA on 8-13-22 a few were at the beginning of the hike but the majority of them were on the far side slope of the big hill going down. There were so many flowers blooming and I counted at least a dozen Monarchs just feeding and seen 3 pairs mating. So to me it is a typical year for the Monarch at that site. In fact the Monarch was the most abundant species seen. I only seen 2 Varigated Fritillaries and one small yellow butterfly. No other species other than the abundance of Monarchs which were easy to spot. I think there are other species threatened and endangered that go unnoticed. The Regal Fritillary being one.


“Monarch Butterfly”		“Mating Monarch Butterflies” I do not see that many Monarch butterflies in a lot of areas. I read they were declining. I was glad to come across some at Frenchman’s Bluff - Scientific and Natural Area in rural Norman Co. Mn.


Monarch Caterpillar... Seen it feeding on milkweed June 25, 2022 out at Frenchman’s Bluff SNA.		Mating Monarchs... Seen a couple pairs mating this is one pair. Aug. 1, 2022 on a prairie in Norman Co. Mn.


Monarch Butterfly - Sandpiper Prairie SNA in Norman Co. Mn.

Kirk Nelson

Mike Poeppe

Rick Thome
found these flowers with dozen monarchs feeding on deep in pond grass

Alfredo Colon

Lynn Rubey
A Monarch Caterpillar on a Milkweed plant in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge. Milkweed plants are essential for the Monarch's survival since the caterpillars eat only Milkweed.



A female Monarch on a blade of grass between the Pool 7 and the West Pool in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge, there are several Milkweed plants nearby that the Monarch needs for survival.

Gerry Garcia

SaraBug
Found 3 monarch eggs on the only milkweed plant in my yard! 2 of 3 hatched the next day, and the third one is about to hatch today (7/17/19).

Norm & Peg Dibble

Here’s some neat photos that Norm took of a Monarch chrysalis that was on the back garden fence, a surprising distance from our only Swamp Milkweed plant.

Then there was also another one very high up on our shed at the eaves. At least it found some shade there. We were able to photograph many stages of the Monarch as it came out of the chrysalis and worked slowly to open its wings.

Margot Avey

Trisha
Monarch Butterfly

Robert Briggs

Monarch butterfly at Spring Lake Park Reserve on October 29th. It seems awfully late in the season to be seeing these.

Wayne Rasmussen
Monarch on swamp milkweed



		Joy Park summer wildflowers and insects are available for viewing
Monarch on swamp milkweed

Monarchs can be found all over Minnesota. The first was found in rural Dodge County and the other in Maplewood on the Bruentrop Historical Site. Our home and Maplewood Hts Park was once part of the Bruentrop farm.

Bill Reynolds

		This is a Monarch caterpillar on Common Milkweed.

There is a pretty good sized Bull Thistle patch near where I live that the bees and butterflies are working pretty hard.

Tom Baker

MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos

Camera

Slideshows

Monarch Metamorphosis
Andree Reno Sanborn

Danaus plexippus (Monarch)
Allen Chartier

Monarch Butterfly Emerges
Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren

About

Monarch
jt893x

slideshow

Visitor Videos

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Mark Teske

Monarch drying
Jul 29, 2025

About

Gerry Garcia

monarch 01
Published on Aug 5, 2019

monarch 02
Published on Aug 5, 2019

Dan W. Andree

"Monarch & Viceroy Butterflies" Filmed by Dan W Andree
Published on Mar 23, 2016

Visitor Sightings

Report a sighting of this insect.

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Be sure to include a location.

Gregory Gilman
9/21/2025

Location: Rochester, MN

The Female Monarch

Delineated by the wing spots

Gregory Gilman
8/9/2025

Location: Rochester, MN

Mark Teske
7/28/2025

Location: North Branch, MN

Do y'all like pictures like this/these? I don't want to bother you.

Bobbi Johnson
10/13/2024

Location: Silver Bay, MN

The monarch was in the last vestige of the Joe Pye Weed

Kristin Mikelyn Martinson
9/20/2024

Location: Buffalo, MN near Crawford Lake

Many many many Monarch butterflies coming to our late blooming Lilac bush in the front yard the past few days. It is so neat to see them here again.!

Luciearl
6/24/2024

Location: Fairview Twp

Monarch caterpillar on milkweed.

Dan W. Andree
6/11/2024

Location: Frenchman’s Bluff SNA

Earlier in June I seen this Monarch at Frenchman’s Bluff SNA but since have only seen a pair mating earlier in June and one other one just flying across the prairie. While the prairie has really grown some of the main flower species are just budding out and last time I was out there maybe 5% of the wild bergamot were flowering. There is a lot of bergamot and other species but haven’t blossomed out really.

That will change fast though. You can see the blanket flowers were blurred somewhat due to rather breezy too darn right windy at times on that day. The Monarch was a male because when its wings were open it had a dark blackish spot on each lower wing area. Fed for a very short time and flew off in the wind.

A/C Christian Church of Minneapolis
7/22/2023

Location: Westwood Hills Nature Center

At the Westwood Hills Nature Center, we saw some life on July 22 this year.

This was all found by the A/C Christian Church of Minneapolis.

Mike Poeppe
9/17/2022

Location: near Houston, MN

Dan W. Andree
8/21/2022

Location: Frenchman’s Bluff SNA

At Frenchman’s Bluff SNA. I had no idea what it was. At first from a distance thought it might be a darker colored Variegated Fritillary but got closer to it and seen it was a butterfly I had never seen before. Its colors reminded or made me think of fall harvest decorations. Like fall color leafs and orange and brown etc. colors pumpkin colors etc. Beautiful butterfly. Also for a first time seen some Common Copper Butterflies at Twin Valley Prairie SNA. I filmed and photographed them they were little and really cute. I got some photos of that Tortoiseshell so will see how they turned out I filmed it but not sure if I got it very good. I haven’t uploaded the footage to a larger monitor. I know the Common Copper photos and video is really nice so hope some of the Milbert’s Tortoiseshell is nice to. I do think some photos will be but not so sure about the video.

Seen so many Monarch’s at both SNA’s mentioned here. I swear a couple hundred or more. They were feeding on mostly prairie blazing star flowers. I could carefully walk through areas and monarchs flew up 3-6 feet in front of me. Some just sat and fed if I was motionless. Not a very spooky butterfly. A few were still mating but most feeding. Must have been a hatch out or something. Didn’t see any regals and haven’t seen any at all at Frenchman’s this whole season but did see a few males at the other mentioned SNA which was nice to see.

Monarchs seem to be doing extremely well in the two mention SNA’s which is good but some other lesser known species not so much. Monarchs were the only species of large butterflies seen. Only seen 2 painted ladies which sometimes they can be all over the place but not a whole lot of species observed this season other than the Monarchs and happy to say lots of them. Concerning though for the other species.

… Seen the Tortoiseshell and Common Coppers yesterday mid afternoon to late afternoon.

Dan W. Andree
8/13/2022

Location: Frenchman’s Bluff SNA

I seen several Monarchs at Frenchman’s Bluff SNA on 8-13-22 a few were at the beginning of the hike but the majority of them were on the far side slope of the big hill going down. There were so many flowers blooming and I counted at least a dozen Monarchs just feeding and seen 3 pairs mating. So to me it is a typical year for the Monarch at that site. In fact the Monarch was the most abundant species seen. I only seen 2 Varigated Fritillaries and one small yellow butterfly. No other species other than the abundance of Monarchs which were easy to spot. I think there are other species threatened and endangered that go unnoticed. The Regal Fritillary being one.

Dan W. Andree
8/1/2022

Location: Norman Co. Mn.

Seen a couple pairs mating this is one pair. Aug. 1, 2022 on a prairie in Norman Co. Mn.

Dan W. Andree
6/25/2022

Location: Frenchman’s Bluff SNA

Seen it feeding on milkweed June 25, 2022 out at Frenchman’s Bluff SNA.

Kirk Nelson
8/28/2021

Location: Whitetail Woods Regional Park

Walking through the pine woods in the southern part of the park, I came across an abundance of monarchs flitting about and resting in the bushes.

Mike Poeppe
7/11/2021

Location: Houston County, MN

Rick Thome
9/6/2020

Location: Independence MN

Luciearl
7/6/2020

Location: Lake Shore, MN

Monarch caterpillar on milkweed.

Alfredo Colon
10/6/2019

Location: Woodbury, Minnesota

Alfredo Colon
9/29/2019

Location: Woodbury, Minnesota

Mary Ann
8/28/2019

Location: Loring Park

August 26, 27 and 28—congregations of 5-7 Monarchs floating on a strong breeze and basking in sun on lower branches of Elm trees in Loring Park.

Dan W. Andree
8/10/2019

Location: Frenchman’s Bluff Scientific and Natural Area in rural Norman Co. Mn

I do not see that many Monarch butterflies in a lot of areas. I read they were declining. I was glad to come across some at Frenchman’s Bluff - Scientific and Natural Area in rural Norman Co. Mn.

Lynn Rubey
8/9/2019

Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge

A Monarch Caterpillar on a Milkweed plant in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge. Milkweed plants are essential for the Monarch's survival since the caterpillars eat only Milkweed.

Lynn Rubey
8/4/2019

Location: Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge

A female Monarch on a blade of grass between the Pool 7 and the West Pool in The Big Stone National Wildlife Refuge, there are several Milkweed plants nearby that the Monarch needs for survival.

Gerry Garcia
8/4/2019

Location: Lyndale Park, Minneapolis, MN

SaraBug
7/15/2019

Location: Minneapolis

Found 3 monarch eggs on the only milkweed plant in my yard! 2 of 3 hatched the next day, and the third one is about to hatch today (7/17/19).

Norm & Peg Dibble
7/15/2019

Location: Maple Grove, MN

Then there was also another one very high up on our shed at the eaves. At least it found some shade there. We were able to photograph many stages of the Monarch as it came out of the chrysalis and worked slowly to open its wings.

Alfredo Colon
6/10/2018

Location: Woodbury, Minnesota

Dan W. Andree
2017

Location: Sandpiper Prairie SNA in Norman Co. Mn.

Margot Avey
8/31/2017

Location: Lake Harriet

Marilyn Carlson
8/30/2017

Location: Annandale, MN

When can I safely pull out the milkweed plants that are growing in my flower garden? I would really like to get milkweed growing along side our driveway ditch so it can grow basically wild with no problem of being cut or pulled out or sprayed. As it is really starting to take over my flower garden. If I take the milkweed pods/seeds and sprinkle them in this area what are the chances of the growing next spring? We are seeing some Monarchs at this time (8-30-2017)

Trisha
12/6/2016

Monarch Butterfly

Robert Briggs
10/29/2016

Location: Spring Lake Park Reserve

It seems awfully late in the season to be seeing these.

Wayne Rasmussen
7/29/2016

Location: Joy Park

Wayne Rasmussen
7/26/2016

Location: Joy Park

Wayne Rasmussen
7/20/2016

Location: Joy Park

Joy Park summer wildflowers and insects are available for viewing

Wayne Rasmussen
8/10/2014

Location: Dodge County

Monarchs can be found all over Minnesota. The first was found in rural Dodge County and the other in Maplewood on the Bruentrop Historical Site. Our home and Maplewood Hts Park was once part of the Bruentrop farm.