This week in the woods, or backyard garden, you’ll likely cross paths with the monarch butterfly.
In fact, you’ll find monarchs in a wide variety of habitats, including fields, roadsides, and landscape plantings.
This large butterfly starts out as a white caterpillar with yellow and black bands, but transforms into a striking, flying insect, with distinct orange wings and black veins.
Many of the monarchs we see in Missouri this week are on their way to Mexico, where they’ll overwinter. In the spring they’ll fly north again, making it to the southern United States where they reproduce and die, leaving behind a new generation to continue the migration.
Monarchs are common across Missouri, but habitat loss in Mexico and herbicide use that kills milkweeds in the United States has led to their decline throughout North America.
Monarchs play an important role as pollinators in ecosystems along their migration routes. They depend on milkweeds to survive, and planting these wildflowers is a great way to help conserve the species.
Learn more about monarch butterflies and how you can help protect them with the Missouri Department of Conservation’s online field guide.
Discover Nature is sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation.