Latin name:
Danaus plexippus
Native to:
Southern Canada south to Mexico, Hawaii, and Australia
Plant Association:
Monarchs are outside the exhibit but all over the Garden. Adults and larvae feed on milkweed (Asclepias species). On the trip north, monarchs roost together at night, sometimes forming groups that can number in the millions. Most monarchs have mated before they leave for the north in the spring, and females lay eggs along the way.