Monarch butterflies, Danaus plexippus, are perhaps the most iconic and recognizable of all North and Central American pollinators. These striking butterflies are famed for their orange and black wings, making them easy to spot as they fly and feed in the backyard. When backlit by the sun, I think the markings appear almost like the stained-glass windows found in an old chapel. Quite a sight to behold.
Each year, monarch butterflies migrate from North America to overwinter in Mexico, seeking some heat and sunshine in the south, and who can blame them? This 3,000-mile journey is one of the great marvels of the natural world, that something so small and weighing so little can travel quite so far. In some regions, the monarch butterfly is known by another nickname, the wanderer, which seems fitting, I think, for this remarkable migrant.
