May Ecoquest Monarch's and Milkweeds

Hello Everyone,

We are currently in third place in Florida for the City Nature Challenge with over 2,000+ observations at the time of writing this so keep up the good work! While you are out there recording so many plants and animals maybe give it a try finding our next ecoquest species, Monarchs and Milkweeds!

The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is an easily recognizable and beloved butterfly species in North America. Monarchs are one of only a few migratory insects. They embark upon a 3,000 mile migration each fall, heading to the cool, high mountains of central Mexico, where they overwinter. They pass through Florida on their long journeys. Like all butterflies, monarchs have a different diet as larval caterpillars than as adult butterflies. In the caterpillar stage, they feed exclusively on plants from the milkweeds group of the Apocynaceae family. In the butterfly stage, monarchs feed on nectar from a variety of flowering plants, including milkweed. Find more on this Month's Ecoquest, Monarch's and Milkweeds! Any observations by May 3rd will be included in the City Nature Challenge as well.

The Monarch Butterfly perched on a host milkweed and the focus of this month's ecoquest! Photo by z7nikon

Posted on May 2, 2021 10:29 PM by sean_patton