The monarch butterfly is known for its large size, orange and black wings, and long annual migrations. It is also associated with milkweed, a number of herbaceous plants from the genus Asclepias. Eggs are laid singly on milkweed plants throughout the monarch’s geographic range, and the caterpillars feed exclusively on them. Milkweeds produce acrid milky juices that contain toxic compounds called cardenolides, which are stored in the voracious caterpillar’s body and make the larva and its subsequent stages distasteful to predators.
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