http://www.ck12.org Chapter 14. Understanding Biodiversity: Animals: Invertebrates
This butterfly will only lay it’s eggs on milkweed plants, which becomes a food source for the caterpillar as the eggs
hatch.
When monarch butterflies on the West Coast of the United States come south towards southern California, to area
such as San Diego, they search for big trees like Torrey pines, redwood and eucalyptus trees.
Anatomy and Physiology
The main parts of the butterfly are the head, thorax ( the section of the body that binds the abdomen and the head)
and the abdomen. Other parts include the leg, fore wing, hind wing, wing veins, compound eye, proboscis (long
mouth part), and antenna.
Behavior
In the fall, monarch butterflies migrate in millions from north to south. In the spring, they migrate from south to
north. Monarchs stay in groups when they migrate. The monarch butterfly is the only butterfly that migrates both
north and south as birds do regularly.
References
- Monarch Butterfly, http://eol.org/pages/2682739/overview.
- Hoskins, Adrian, Butterfly Evolution.Learn about Butterflies. The Complete Guide to the World of Butterflies
and Moths. n.d. - Hoyt, Cathryn,Evolution of Moths and Butterflies.Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute. n.p., n.d.
- Shenkman, Henry.Monarch Butterfly - Danaus Plexippus - Nature Bytes Video.http://naturebytesvideo.com/
bytes_K-O/monarch_butterfly.html. - Urban Habitat of Southern California - Nature Bytes Videohttp://naturebytesvideo.com/m05-urban.html.
- What Do Butterflies Eat?http://www.thebutterflysite.com/what-butterflies-eat.shtml.
Attribution
Authors
- Janae N. Beasley
- Natalie Vollmer
- Quinn Tribolet
Supervising Faculty
- Amy Huff Shah
Affiliation
- Museum School, San Diego, California