Monarch butterfly

Natural Habitat

Found across North, Central, and South America, as well as several Pacific islands, Australia, and Western Europe; typically located in areas with milkweed and sufficient nectar sources such as fields, meadows, and gardens.

Diet & Feeding

Larvae (caterpillars) feed exclusively on milkweed (Asclepias spp.). Adults feed on nectar from a variety of flowers.

Behavior Patterns

Best known for their incredible long-distance annual migration from North America to overwintering sites in central Mexico and coastal California; they undergo a complete metamorphosis with four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.

Risks & Benefits

Benefits the ecosystem as an important pollinator; toxins sequestered from milkweed during the larval stage make both caterpillars and adults unpalatable and potentially toxic to predators like birds. They pose no significant risk to humans.

Identified on: 2/27/2026