bright, noticeable butterfly with orange wings and dark streaks on them - a monarch butterfly.Living in North America, these fragile creatures can migrate during the migration to the Canary Islands, in Europe, Africa, Australia and New Zealand.They thrive in any area with a warm humid climate.
Monarch butterfly gets its name from the appearance, which resembles a mantle, as well as impressive size.The wingspan of this insect reaches 100 mm.This female is much smaller, but look as impressive.To distinguish it from the male may be at first sight a dark spot on the lower wing in the center of the black "vein."
This bright color butterflies need to repel enemies.Juicy orange color makes the alert, and white patches on the edges of the wings of birds have warned that the insect is not very taste.
With all its splendor to the monarch butterfly is poisonous creatures, but it is safe for humans.Even in the caterpillar stage, these insects feed on plant juice spurge.Its juice is stored for a long time in the body of butterflies.For the birds it's awful taste, and for some poisonous.There were times when the most voracious bird spat out their prey.
For scientists monarch butterfly photo is presented in the article is of particular interest.I still do not figure out how these insects overcome vast distances up to 3 thousand. Km.In order to spend the winter, the entire colony leave their habitats and are moving closer to the equator.According to environmental experts, flew to Mexico and 14 million butterflies.
Watch wintering colonies very interesting.Huge concentrations of these insects stuck to the trunks and branches of trees, enveloping all one color carpet.Monarch - the butterfly, which threatens the destruction of a person because of deforestation and the trees where winter colony.Insect entered in the International Red Book.As a result of human activity, many butterflies favorite places become uninhabitable.Using pesticides people struggle with spurge, and eventually disappears food for the monarch, and with it its population.
monarch butterfly spends the winter still, falling into hibernation until spring.Spring comes the main event in the life of the adults - they mate, lay eggs and die.After 3-4 days the larvae hatch from the eggs.Thus they are so small that they are difficult to see with the naked eye.Voracious caterpillars begin to grow rapidly.They spend days consume milkweed leaves.Shortly future butterfly larvae grow in huge black and yellow color.This coloration indicates enemies that within the body contains a bitter poison.After two weeks, the caterpillar turns into a chrysalis.More in two weeks nymph transformed by the action of hormones in the beautiful insect.Freed from the cocoon, the butterfly is ready to fly north to the next winter to go back to their place of birth.Adults without prejudice to the nature and man, eating only nectar and pollen.
Unfortunately, the length of the life cycle of these beautiful creatures is scanty in human terms.Those butterflies that were born in the early summer, live only 2 months.A born in the fall preparing for the winter, during which sleep.Consequently, their age is 4-5 months.
