Monarch Butterfly

Class: Hexapoda (animals with six legs - includes all insects)
Order: Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths)
    lepido = scale and ptera = wings
    The wings are covered with small scales.
Family: Nymphalidae (brushfoot butterflies)
Subfamily: Danainae (milkweed butterflies)
Species: Danaus plexippus
Common Name: Monarch
Date: 2001 August 14
Place: Guadalupe Mountains National Park
    Bowl Trail between Bear Canyon and Juniper Trails

The Monarch is a large, conspicuous butterfly easily recognized by most people, although sometimes confused with a mimic, the smaller Viceroy. Robert Michael Pyle wrote an interesting book (c 1999) called "Chasing Monarchs" in which he attempts to follow the western Monarchs as they migrate in the fall. It is a travelogue / personal narrative sprinkled with a lot of Monarch information.

Links

Note: This is a personal web site and is not affiliated with the National Park Service or Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Contact information for the author, Ron Lyons, is accessible through the Index Page referenced below. Thank you.