Monarch butterfly

Fields, meadows, roadsides, and gardens containing milkweed; overwintering sites in oyamel fir forests in Mexico and coastal eucalyptus groves in California.

Caterpillars feed exclusively on milkweed (Asclepias spp.). Adults feed on flower nectar from a variety of flowering plants.

Famous for long-distance annual migrations across North America. Caterpillars sequester cardiac glycosides from milkweed to make themselves toxic to predators.

No risks to humans; toxic to ingest for many predators. Essential pollinator for wild flowering plants and a key indicator species for ecosystem health.