Fun Facts

• The Monarch Butterfly is the king of the insect world
• The Monarch Butterfly's scientific name is Danaus Plexippus
• Some of the Monarch Butterflies are poisonous
• The Monarch Butterflies have a wingspan of 3 3/8 - 4 7/8 inches (8.6 - 12.4 cm)
• The Monarch Butterflies have a life span of 8-9 months
• The Monarch Butterfly eats milkweed as a caterpillar and eats nectar as an adult butterfly
• The Monarch Butterfly breathes through its wings
• Monarch Butterflies crossbreed with only their own kind
• Monarchs are related to all milkweed eating butterflies
• The Monarch Butterfly is also called a milkweed butterfly
• People who study Monarch Butterflies are called Lepidopterists
• Monarch Butterflies fly from between 5 to 30 miles an hour
• The Monarch Butterfly can lay up to 500 eggs
• Monarch Butterflies can overheat in hot climates
• Vietnam only has two zoos and national parks so there are not many places for animals
• There are more than a dozen different types of milkweed
• Only the Black Headed Grosbeak and the Black-Backed Orioles can eat the Monarch Butterfly
• Monarch Butterflies prefer highlands
• The wings of the Monarch Butterflies tend to wear out from time to time
• Monarchs do not travel at very high speeds
• The Agent Orange that decreased the population of Monarchs in Vietnam cannot be removed from the soil
• The only difference between the North American Monarchs and the Vietnamese Monarchs are the markings on their wings
• Male Monarchs have a dark spot also known as scent scales and also small claspers at the end of their abdomen
• Female Monarchs have thicker wing veins
• The Aztec believed the adult Monarch Butterflies to be the incarnation of their fallen warriors, wearing the colors of battle
• Monarch females can lay several hundred eggs, usually laying a single egg on a plant. The eggs hatch about four days after they are laid
• Monarch larvae, like other caterpillars, have very poor vision. They see through six pairs of eyes called ocelli
• The Monarch Butterfly is known by scientists as Danaus plexippus, which in Greek literally means "sleepy transformation." The name, which means to hibernate and metamorphize, is inspired by the Greek myth of Danaus. In this story the daughters of Danaus, king of Libya, escape Libya and go to Greece in order to avoid marrying their cousins. The long migration of the Monarch Butterflies reminds us of the the daughters' flight.
• The larvae feed on the plant leaves for about two weeks and develop into caterpillars about 2 inches long.
• Monarchs use "thermals," or warm air, to allow them to glide as they migrate. This helps them conserve energy for their long flight. Migrating birds also use thermals.