Monarch Butterfly

Have you ever looked up into a tree in winter and been amazed to see hundreds of monarch butterflies hanging from the leaves in big clusters? The monarch butterfly is one of the best known of all North American butterflies because they make annual migrations across America to avoid winter weather. In autumn, tens of millions of Monarch butterflies fly south and roost in huge numbers on trees in selected mountain areas of California and Mexico. Monarch butterflies will use the same trees year after year. The Monarch butterfly migrates for 2 reasons. They can not withstand freezing weather in the northern and central continental climates in the winter. Also, the larval food plants do not grow in their winter overwintering sites, so the spring generation must fly back north to regions where the plants are plentiful. Their journey can cover up to 2,000 miles before it ends!