Monarch caterpillar and monarch chrysalis

Open habitats with milkweed, including meadows, roadsides, gardens, and fields across the Americas. The chrysalis is attached to sheltered plant stems or leaves.

Larvae feed almost exclusively on milkweed (Asclepias) leaves. Adults consume nectar from many flowering plants.

The caterpillar passes through five molts, then hangs in a J-shaped position and forms a green chrysalis; metamorphosis usually takes 8–15 days. Adults migrate seasonally in North America, with several generations per year.

Not dangerous to handle, though milkweed-derived toxins make the caterpillar and adult distasteful to predators. Monarchs are important pollinators, but populations face habitat loss, pesticide exposure, and declining milkweed.