Of all the North American butterflies, the monarch butterfly is perhaps the most recognizable with its orange and black coloring. Sometimes called the wanderer butterfly, the monarch has been known to migrate over 3000 miles and can also be found in Australia and New Zealand as well as the Canary Islands, Madeira, Portugal and Spain.

Each year these butterflies go south for the winter. Beginning in August and continuing until the first frost female monarchs can be found depositing their eggs on leaves and branches during their migration. The interesting thing is that the length of the migration can actually exceed the lifespan of the butterflies which is only two months. However, butterflies born in late summer can actually live up to seven months in a nonreproductive mode. Interestingly enough, these butterflies do not reproduce until they leave the place where they've spent the winter.

The monarch butterfly is one of the few that can actually cross the Atlantic Ocean during its migration in these days you can find them in Bermuda and even Great Britain.

Monarch butterflies love to eat milkweed's (Asclepias), so if you want to attract them to your garden make sure to plant plenty of these.

As with other types of butterflies, the monarch has an interesting lifespan. In the spring and summer, during their breeding time, the female monarch will lay her eggs on milkweed plants. When the eggs hatch, the larva feeds on the milkweed eventually turning into the yellow black-and-white striped caterpillar. The caterpillar has all the fat and nutrients it needs stored up so when it enters the pupa or chrysalis stage it will have plenty to eat. For this stage, it hangs upside down from a leaf and then molts a hard exoskeleton, encasing itself inside. While inside, the ugly caterpillar is changing itself into a beautiful butterfly which emerges after about two weeks.

The monarch butterfly has been a favorite for generations but due to the deforestation of their wintering grounds, the population has been greatly reduced in recent years. However, have no fear, because efforts are underway to classify it as a protected species and hopefully restore its habitat and protect these beautiful creatures for generations to come.