Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus)

 

Status: Currently the monarch butterflies have protected areas within Mexico at the Monarch Butterfly Bioshpere Reserve and Brazil's Cerrado Protected Areas, however the IUCN raises concern over the state of these protected areas. The property hosts an estimated 70% of the total overwintering eastern population of the Monarch Butterfly. However, in recent years there has been a significant decrease in Monarch Butterflies in the reserve. This decline has been linked to changing agricultural practices leading to a significant loss of milkweed plants, which are the sole source of food for the caterpillars.The site’s conservation prospects have been assessed as ‘critical’ by the IUCN World Heritage Outlook (IUCN 2015).

 

Habitat:  The Monarch Butterfly crosses all three countries during its annual multi-generational migration (Canada, United States and Mexico).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life cycle: Monarch butterflies begin their life as eggs and hatch as larvae that eat their eggshells and, subsequently, the milkweed plants on which they were placed. (Monarchs are dependent on milkweed plants, which larvae eat nearly exclusively). The milkweed plant provides both food and shelter for a caterpillar for approximately two weeks (dependent on temperature).