Monarch Butterflies

The Monarch Butterfly is a common poisonous butterfly, that eats poisonous milkweed. In its larval stage it lays its egg on the milkweed plant. Monarchs have a wing span of 3 3/8-4 7/8 inches (8.6-12.4 cm). Butterflies are beautiful, flying insects with large scaly wings. Like all insects, they have six jointed legs, 3 body parts called, the head the thorax, and the abdomen. The four wings and six legs of the butterfly are attached to the thorax. The thorax contains the muscles that make the legs and wings move.

How to tell a male from a female. Male Monarchs have a dark spot on their hind wing and have small claspers at the end of each abdomen. Females have thicker wing veins. Their predators are

Spiders, bacteria, and viruses.

Katie F.