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Monarch butterfly
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A monarch butterfly with orange and black wings rests on a cluster of bright pink butterfly bush flowers. Monarch caterpillar Monarch butterfly Monarch caterpillar and butterfly Müllerian mimicry Illustration showing the monarch butterfly life cycle in a circle: eggs, larva (caterpillar), chrysalis, and adult butterfly, with labeled images for each stage. Close-up side view of a single Monarch butterfly egg (Danaus plexippus) attached to the textured surface of a green milkweed leaf. Monarch metamorphosis Monarch butterfly chrysalis Five stages of a monarch butterfly emerging from its chrysalis are shown in sequence on a branch, from the first split to the butterfly fully unfolded and drying its wings.
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Monarch butterfly: Media

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Videos

Monarch Butterfly Migration Explained
Learn about the monarch butterfly, including its annual migration to Mexico.
Video: Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz; Thumbnail © Rinus Baak/Dreamstime.com
How Can We Help Protect Monarch Butterflies?
Every year, monarch butterflies fly south for winter—sometimes traveling up to 1,800...
Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Watch a caterpillar larva eat milkweed, form a pupa, and emerge as a monarch butterfly
Learn about the life cycle of the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus).
Video: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Observe a monarch butterfly coming out of its chrysalis
Time-lapse video of a monarch butterfly, filmed by Neil Bromhall.
Video: Video by Neil Bromhall; music, Musopen.org (A Britannica Publishing Partner)

Images

Monarch butterfly on Buddleja
An adult monarch butterfly visiting the flowers of a butterfly bush (Buddleja...
© R. Gino Santa Maria/stock.adobe.com
Monarch caterpillar
Caterpillar of the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) feeding on a milkweed...
© Julie DeRoche—Design Pics/Getty Images
Monarch butterfly
A female monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) resting on anise hyssop (Agastache...
© Willowpix—E+/Getty Images
Müllerian mimicry
A monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus; left) and viceroy butterfly (Limenitis...
©photosbyjimn–iStock/Getty Images, © R. Gino Santa Maria/stock.adobe.com
Monarch butterfly life cycle
Illustration of a monarch butterfly's life cycle.
© Nicolas Primola/Shutterstock.com
Butterfly egg
A monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) egg attached to the surface of a...
© maria t hoffman/stock.adobe.com
Monarch metamorphosis
A monarch caterpillar (Danaus plexippus) hanging from a leaf as it begins...
© ABDESIGN—iStock/Getty Images
Monarch butterfly chrysalis
Chrysalis of the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus).
© Index Open
Monarch emergence
A composite of five views of a monarch butterfly emerging from its chrysalis. It...
© CathyKeifer—iStock/Getty Images
Monarch butterfly migration
© Sylvain CORDIER—Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images
Masses of monarchs
Migratory monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus plexippus) clustering en...
© Isabelle/stock.adobe.com
Chrysalis
A monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) about to emerge from its chrysalis....
© dossyl/Shutterstock.com
life cycle of the monarch butterfly
Life cycle of the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus).
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Monarch butterfly
Illustration of a monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus).
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Interactives

Monarch caterpillar and butterfly
Move the slider to see a larval monarch caterpillar (left) and the adult monarch...
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Monarch butterfly migration
Migratory monarch butterflies migrate south each fall, sometimes traveling as far...
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Podcasts

“The Precarious State of the Monarch Butterfly”
John Rafferty of Encyclopædia Britannica discusses two species of monarch butterflies...
VIEW MORE in these related Britannica articles: