The Monarch Butterfly

Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) are a familiar sight in the summer. With their vivid distinctly patterned orange-and-black wings, they are one of the most recognizable insect species in North America. Among the largest butterflies in Ontario, the female Monarch will lay eggs on milkweed leaves— an Ontario staple and a favourite food for the caterpillars.  

Come fall, these iconic butterflies undertake an incredible journey, migrating thousands of kilometres from Canada to Mexico. The migration of the Monarchs is a spectacular natural phenomenon, where millions of butterflies embark on the annual multi-generational voyage south of the U.S. Gulf Coast ... and back.  

A Monarch Butterfly specimen welcomes visitors as part of the entrance displays in the Patrick and Barbara Keenan Family Gallery of Hands-on Biodiversity. ROM also holds more than 200 Monarch specimens in the collections to assist with research. Be sure to watch for Monarchs in your neighbourhood. But don’t be fooled. Due to their similar colouration, Viceroy Butterflies (Limenitis archippus) are often misidentified as Monarchs.

To learn more about the Monarch and other butterflies (like the Viceroy), pick up a copy of ROM’s Field Guide to Butterflies of Ontario, available from ROM Boutique, local bookstores, or online at shop.rom.on.ca.