Monarch Butterfly

 The monarch is one of the most recognized butterflies in North America. It is found through out most of the continent. The monarch is a brushfoot butterfly (Family Nymphalidae) that is further classified into the subfamily Danainae. Members of the Danainae subfamily are often called milkweed butterflies because their larval host plants are various forms of milkweed. All of the milkweed butterflies in North America are primarily orange and black in color and toxic to most predators. This toxicity comes from the juices of the milkweed plants that the caterpillars eat. Adults feed on nectar from blooming flowers. This monarch is on prairie blooming star which is a favorite of many different species of butterfly in the late summer. In the fall many monarchs migrate south either to southern California, those living in western North America, or the mountains of central Mexico, those living in east and central North America.