Monarch Butterflies inhabit gardens, fields, forests, and roadsides of most of the United States from May to October. They are the most common during their fall migration south during the fall months.

Every fall hundreds of thousands of Monarch Butterflies migrate south to Mexico. The Monarch’s winter home is the subject of intense conservation efforts. Officials in Mexico, the United States, and Canada have worked together to form the Trilateral Monarch Butterfly Sister Protected Area Network. The purpose of the network is to share information, and to work on ways to save the monarch butterfly.

The Monarch Butterfly is one of the most recognizable types of butterfly. The bright orange and black color is their signature. The male Monarch is smaller, and brighter colored, with a black scent patch on its dorsal hind wing. The female Monarch is larger, not as brightly colored, and it does not have the black spot.

The Monarch Butterflies favorite food is the milkweed. It’s the food of choice for Monarch larvae. The milkweed has a toxin, which is ingested by the larvae. The toxin makes the Monarch butterflies a taste that most predators don’t like.

Many people plant gardens and landscapes to attract Monarch Butterflies. Some of the best plants to include in your garden plan for butterflies are in the sidebar to the right. The two best plants to include in your landscape if you want to attract Monarchs are milkweed, and thistle.

Monarchs like all butterfly types have four cycles to their life. In the first stage the female butterfly lays her eggs. The eggs hatch into caterpillars. The caterpillars eat their way through their short life stage. When he’s had enough to eat the caterpillar forms a pupa. He remains in the pupa for about 10 to 14 days. Then he emerges from the pupa as a full-grown Monarch Butterfly.