Description
A monarch butterfly revealed in its most fragile form, its scales carefully lifted to expose the ghostlike lattice beneath. It feels like a scientific specimen caught between life and memory, suspended in a frame that treats its anatomy like sacred script.
Monarch butterflies are known for their long-distance migration, which can be over 2,800 miles, and their unique diet of milkweed, which makes them toxic to predators. Millions of monarchs migrate from Canada and the U.S. to overwintering sites in Mexico and Southern California. The migratory generation can live for up to eight months. The bright coloring warns predators that they are poisonous, and a predator that eats one will likely get sick, teaching it to avoid monarchs in the future. The wings are covered in tiny, specialized scales made of chitin that help repel moisture and regulate temperature.
Scientific Classification:
- Family: Nymphalidae (Brush-footed butterflies)
- Subfamily: Danainae (Milkweed butterflies)
- Genus: Danaus
- Species: plexippus
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