Monarchs and Migrations

It is time for all naturalists to be on the lookout for one of our great migrators. Monarchs, or Danaus plexippus, are one of our prettiest butterfly species. The adult butterfly is orange with black markings. They have a black body with white polka-dots. All of these markings help to warn other animals that they might not be the best bug to eat. In fact, the Monarch is toxic to most birds that would like to make it a meal.



But how does it get this way? The milkweed plant! This is the exclusive food of the monarch caterpillar. If you visit the park, there is plenty of milkweed for you to see and find out how it got its name. The plant has a milky-white substance in its veins that is similar to vinyl. In fact, it was once being considered as a vinyl substitute and research was underway to see how the substance could best be utilized. You can see the sap by breaking off a leaf or a piece of one.
For the Monarch, it's just food! They absorb the sappy substance when they are caterpillars munching away on the leaves of the plant. When they become butterflies, they are nectar drinkers, but they still retain the toxic qualities acquired in their youth.





We have a few chrysallis in the Center now and will tag these butterflies when they emerge. Then they will migrate to Mexico. If you find a tagged Monarch, call the phone number on the tag and report the number. This will help track the migration progress. You can help us tag Monarchs on September 6 or 7 at 2pm. We will try and catch a few to tag in the field and learn all about their unique lifecycle.