The World of the Monarch ButterflyTens of millions of monarchs in North America migrate to a single small area of rare oyamel forests high in the mountains west of Mexico City. How does each generation find its way to the same place every year? How do monarchs know when to begin their journey? And what causes monarchs born at the end of the summer to migrate while those born in midsummer don't? Well-known science writer Eric S. Grace explores these and other questions, describing the dangers of migration, the monarch's use of the milkweed plant as a defense against predators, the intricate courtship rituals of the monarch, and the dramatic metamorphosis that transforms a voracious stay-at-home caterpillar into an elegant and gregarious beauty. He also discusses the tragic loss of monarch roosting sites to logging, the destruction of monarch habitat by agriculture and urbanization, and the need for international cooperation to protect the monarch. |
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abdomen adult animals antennae Batesian Batesian mimicry beautiful birds body breeding butter butterflies Danaus butterflies live butterfly clusters butterfly watchers butterfly's California Canada cardenolides chemicals chrysalis clusters coast cold colours cuticle fall feed female flies flight flowering plants fluid flutter FRANS LANTING FRANS LANTING/MINDEN PICTURES Fred Urquhart GARY VESTAL genetic habitat insects instar journey kilometres lay eggs lay their eggs leaf leaves Lepidopterists Lincoln Brower logging male monarch mate mice migration route milkweed grow milkweed plants millions mimicry mimics monarch butterflies monarch caterpillars monarch larva Monarch Watch moult mountain Müllerian mimicry nectar North America numbers Ontario oyamel forests palatable passenger pigeon pattern population predators protect pupa queen butterflies region Rockies RON WATTS roosts in Mexico scientists silk button skin species of milkweed spot summer survive tags temperatures tissues trees viceroy warm weather weeds wildflowers wings winter roosts Xerces Society