Monarch

The monarch butterfly (or Danaus plexippus) is found in a wide range worldwide but is most commonly seen in North and South America. Its wings are orange-red with prominent black veins, lined with thick black edges and white spots. Their legs and antennae are black, and their body is black with white spots. Monarch caterpillars have a plump body covered with yellow, black and white stripes and the chrysalises are green with gold accents. Monarchs have a wingspan of 8.9cm to 10.2cm and weigh approximately 0.5g.

The nominate subspecies of the monarch, which migrates across North America each year, is categorised as Vulnerable, while the global species is considered of Least Concern. Due to consequences of climate change, habitat loss and universal use of pesticides, the population of monarch butterflies has declined by 80% in the past 30 years. The monarch commonly overwinters in forests, however widespread deforestation means that hibernating butterflies are more likely to die of exposure to the elements or predators. The monarch butterfly is regularly bred in captivity for butterfly houses. Conservation initiatives are encouraging habitat protection in Mexico to mitigate issues with overwintering. Eco-tourism and education around overwintering sites are becoming increasingly common. Institutions and volunteer efforts are collecting data and exploring further conservation actions. While the non-migratory monarch is widespread and not at risk, the migratory monarch butterfly has only recently stabilised its long term population decline – it remains at low risk of extinction due to random low-probability events.