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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Butterflies and Skippers (Papilionoidea) » Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae) » Milkweed Butterflies & Glasswings (Danainae) » Milkweed Butterflies (Danaini) » Danaus » Monarch - Hodges#4614 (Danaus plexippus)
Photo#69095
Monarch on Milkweed - Danaus plexippus
Copyright © 2006 Peter Hollinger

Monarch on Milkweed - Danaus plexippus
Vershire, Orange County, Vermont, USA
August 6, 2006
There don't seem to be any Danaus plexippus from Vermont on BugGuide yet.
The plant is Asclepias syriaca (Common Milkweed), poisonous host plant for the caterpillar.
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Contributed by Peter Hollinger on 6 August, 2006 - 9:51pm
Last updated 8 August, 2006 - 8:22am

The color of the milkweed
appears to be A. quadrifolia. The milkweed renders the monarch poisonous to preditors. Birds know that and do not attempt to eat the butterfly, thus it can make its annual migration to Mexico without ending up as the main course at dinner.

Beautiful shot of a very handsome creature.
… Jacques S. Doucet, 7 August, 2006 - 5:34pm login or register to post comments

 
Not "four-leaf" milkweed
It's not Asclepias quadrifolia, just "common" A. syriaca.
I'll move this to the Guide.
… Peter Hollinger, 8 August, 2006 - 8:22am login or register to post comments

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