The Monarch Butterfly, or Danaus plexippus, is one of the most beautiful and fascinating insects in North

America.

Unfortunately, due to habitat loss, the species is in rapid decline.

In Order to Help Save the Monarch Population, we must attempt to understand the species,

including:• The Monarch’s Incredible Lifecycle• The Monarch’s dependence on the Milkweed Plant• The Monarch’s Impressive

Migration Patterns• The Loss of the Monarch’s

Winter Roosting Habitat• And What We Can Do to

Help Save this Beautiful Insect

The Monarch Life Cycle

Follow the link to view a video clip showing the journey of several Monarchs from caterpillar- to chrysalis- to adult butterfly:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAUSKxWMIh0

The Milkweed Plant and Its Importance to the Monarch’s Life Cycle:

As the Life Cycle slide indicated, Monarchs lay their eggs exclusively on the Milkweed plant because it

is the only source of food Monarch Larvae naturally feed on.

MONARCH EGG ON MILKWEED

LEAF

COMMON MILKWEED

MONARCH LARVA FEEDING ON MILKWEED

There are many species of Milkweed in North America that can support the Monarch, but the two

most common species in our area include:

COMMON MILKWEED

SPROUTING FLOWERING SEEDING

AND SWAMP MILKWEED

FLOWERING

SPROUTING SEEDING

So Why Milkweed?When Monarch Larvae feed on Milkweed they consume and

collect a toxin that exists in the leaves of the plant.

The Monarchs, having an

immune digestive system, then use the toxins from

the milkweed as a defense

mechanism.

The bright coloration of the

Monarch serves as a warning to its predators of its

bitterly unpleasant taste

and ability to make some

predators vomit. Once an unwary bird catches and

eats a Monarch you can bet that bird will never again prey on a Monarch.

The Viceroy Butterfly has a similar coloration and pattern to the Monarch Butterfly which acts as a defense mechanism.

The Viceroy mimics the Monarch in hopes that predators will avoid it thinking that it has the same bitter, unpleasant taste.

VICEROY BUTTERFLY MONARCH BUTTERFLY

The black stripe on the bottom portion of the viceroy butterfly’s wings is the main distinction between the two.

Male or Female?Did you know that it is possible to tell the difference between

male and female Monarch Butterflies?

Male Monarch Butterflies have a small black spot on the lower portion of each of their wings that female Monarchs do not have. Also, female Monarchs tend to have thicker black vein

lines in their wings.

FEMALE MALE

Black dot means male

butterfly

Thicker black veins

usually means female

The Amazing Monarch Migration

The Neovolcanic

Belt

East Coast Migration

Route

Over the span of four generations,

Monarchs complete an incredible

migration to one of three overwintering

sites in southern areas of the continent.

These sites include coastal California, the

Neovolcanic belt of Mexico, and the southern tip of

Florida.

Follow the link to view a video clip of Monarch Butterfly expert, Professor Lincoln Brower of Sweet Briar College, explain the Monarch migration and

overwintering:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WHIZNvEo1g

Tagging Monarchs

In order to learn more about the huge numbers of migrating Monarchs and the great migration itself, Monarch tracking programs have been developed where individual Monarchs are caught, numbered and tagged at no harm to

the insect.

The Village of AngangueoAngangueo, a small Mexican village, is located next to one of

the most important overwintering sites for the migrating Monarchs.

The village is attempting to take steps to prevent the illegal logging of nearby forests to protect the Monarch, but it is a

challenge.

Some of the lands around Angangueo have been designated as part of a Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve under the

UN Biosphere Program, which is a positive step towards protecting the Monarchs.

Above is a picture of Monarchs in flight taken on the Biosphere Reserve.

ILLEGAL LOGGINGIllegal logging of the roosting forests in Mexico of the overwintering

Monarchs is one of the leading causes of the Monarch Butterfly’s recent population declines.

The Consequences of Illegal LoggingThe thinning of the forests caused by illegal logging reduces the Monarchs’ habitat. It also makes the overwintering Butterflies

susceptible to wind and temperature changes that kill hundreds of millions of Monarchs like the ones shown below.

Unfortunately, tourism, a promising economic alternative to illegal logging, is difficult to promote because of the language barrier.

By establishing the Sister Cities International Program between our local communities and the Village of Angangueo, we would have

opportunities to collaborate with the village and contribute to the preservation of the Monarch.

Learn More About the Sister City Program at www.sister-cities.org

A Sign Marking a Butterfly

Reserve in Mexico

A Sister City Success

Arlington, VA founded a Sister City Association under Sister Cities International. They are a Sister City to Aachen, Germany,

Coyoacan, Mexico, Reims, France, and San Miguel, El Salvador.Participation in Sister Cities International has provided:

• Arts and Culture Partnerships• Economic Development Opportunities• Educational and Professional Exchanges

• Global Tourism and Visitation

How Can You Help?There are several ways you can make a difference in the

preservation of the Monarch Butterfly as well as many other beautiful butterfly and native plant species.

You Can Plant a Native Plant Butterfly Garden

To Have a Successful Butterfly Garden You Will Need: At least 5 hours of sunlight daily Shallow water sources (such as small mud puddles) Shelter from harsh winds Flat stones for resting and sunning Native nectar plants And native caterpillar host plants

How to Get Started on Your Butterfly Garden Here are some useful local contacts and resources that

can help you with planning a native butterfly garden:

• Master GardenersRockbridge Extension OfficeP.O. Drawer 897Lexington, VA 24450540-463-4734E-mail:mary@adkinsweb.com

• Boxerwood Gardens963 Ross Rd.Lexington, VA 24450540-463-2697E-mail: kb@boxerwood.org

Map of Boxerwood Gardens

• The Live Monarch Foundation- www.livemonarch.comAt livemonarch.com, you can:

- Sign up to receive free Milkweed seed packets- Order live Monarch adults to release in your garden- Learn more about their work saving the

Monarch - And much more!

Looking for a More Laid-Back Approach?Let part of your backyard or acreage grow wild and natural.

Excessive mowing and spraying of pesticides is harmful to Monarch Butterfly habitat. So in this case, less work can

mean more reward!

You can also certify your yard or property as Backyard Wildlife Habitat through the National Wildlife Federation.

Follow the link to watch a video clip about certifying your yard:

TO LEARN MORE GO TO: www.nwf.org

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0EjNAEXMuw

Sources• Picture 1, Slide 2: http://www.inhs.illinois.edu/inhsreports/sep-oct99/monarch.gif• Picture 2, Slide 2: http://blog.mongabay.com/2007/12/• Picture 1, Slide 3: http://www.fluvannamg.org/images/vce/20070924-MilkweedMonarch.jpg• Picture 1, Slide 4: http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/on/pelee/natcul/~/media/pn-np/on/Pelee/k-m/lifecycle_e.ashx• Picture 1, Slide 5: www.google.com• Picture 1, Slide 6: http://williamthecoroner.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/common-milkweed.jpg• Picture 2, Slide 6: http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1076/1202943861_2598210fe2.jpg?v=0• Picture 3, Slide 6: http://k43.pbase.com/o4/48/95248/1/65105265.OZIfsVJH.47693502.MonarchCatMilkweed2.jpg• Picture 1, Slide 7: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_81Nc_4nc1kQ/SehWJ9lG_OI/AAAAAAAACxc/1XatcZ7Z-vY/s400/BILD3436.JPG• Picture 2, Slide 7: http://www.shutterpoint.com/photos/A/650974-Common-Milkweed_view.jpg• Picture 3, Slide 7: http://www.freemilkweedseed.com/images/mwseed6.jpg• Picture 1, Slide 8: http://www.greatstems.com/swampmilkweed07-31-09.jpg• Picture 2, Slide 8: http://www.abnativeplants.com/_ccLib/image/plants/DETA-84.jpg• Picture 3, Slide 8: http://www.remarc.com/craig/images/swamp_milkweed_seedx500.jpg• Toxin facts, Slide 9: http://www.monarchwatch.org/milkweed/index.htm• Picture 1, Slide 9: http://www.wildwisconsinweb.com/Gallery/images/Monarch%20Butterfly.jpg• Picture 1, Slide 10: http://www.fieldmuseum.org/butterfly/butterfly_collection/Collection_page/images/z94203c_Limen.jpg• Picture 2, Slide 10: http://www.alainopina.com/webdev2/webdev%20activities/019a-monarch_butterfly.jpg• Picture 1-2-Information, Slide 11: http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/monarch/MaleFemaleQA.html• Picture 1, Slide 12: http://www.mythinglinks.org/MonarchButterfly_migration_map2.jpg• Picture 1, Slide 13: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WHIZNvEo1g&feature=player_embedded• Picture 1, Slide 14: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_OsidO2UbunA/SsEqaN6MDeI/AAAAAAAABcE/moLw_E3Y5TA/s400/monarch+tagged.jpg• Picture 1, Slide 15: http://images.travelpod.com/users/mebiner/2.1230825420.angangueo.jpg• Picture 1, Slide 16: http://spiritofbutterflies.com/jose%20luis%20in%20cerro%20pelon.jpg• Picture 1, Slide 17: http://www.ecolifefoundation.org/landing_page_images/lead_image.jpg• Picture 1, Slide 18: http://www.sister-cities.org/• Picture 2, Slide 18: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/newsletter/images2009/2009-12_Clickenger_butterfly-reserve_SA_Trip_MEXICO-1108-225x300.jpg• Picture 1, Slide 19: http://butterflybush.net/blog/wp-content/gallery/butterfly-garden/Butterfly-Garden-big.jpg• Garden Facts, Slide 19: http://butterflywebsite.com/butterflygardening.cfm• Plant Facts, Slide 20: http://www.gardenguides.com/84019-native-virginia-plants-butterfly-garden.html• Information, Slide 22: www.livemonarch.com• Picture 1, Slide 22: http://www.rickyseabra.com/ISADORA%20THESIS%20CD/imagesfiles/monarch.jpg• Picture 1, Slide 23: http://danelope.net/m45/Spring/PuffField615.jpg• Picture 2, Slide 23: http://distantgardens.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/dsc_0131.jpg• Picture 3, Slide 23: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5By9Ok5qyHQ/Si1_dbOwEvI/AAAAAAAAAsc/3RR9LS9D10w/s400/DSC01142.JP