Danaus plexippus
danaus plexippusAlso known as Wanderer, Milkweed Butterfly, Common Tiger, Black-Veined Brown
Famous for their multi-generational annual migration, these brilliant orange insects travel thousands of miles between North American breeding grounds and overwintering roosts in central Mexico and coastal California. Caterpillars feed exclusively on milkweed foliage, accumulating toxic cardiac glycosides that render both larvae and adult butterflies distasteful to most predators. Their striking black-veined pattern serves as a bold warning color, advertising their chemical defenses to hungry birds.
- Milkweed foliage
- Flower nectar
- Black-headed Grosbeak
- Black-backed Oriole
- Deer Mouse
- OrderLepidoptera
- FamilyNymphalidae
- GenusDanaus
- Speciesdanaus plexippus
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
- What to notice
- Look for vibrant orange wings edged in black with white spots, spanning nearly four inches across.
- Support conservation
- Avoid touching caterpillars or roosting adults, and report tagged butterflies to citizen science tracking programs.
- Plant Native Milkweed: Choose native milkweed species for your region to feed hungry caterpillars.
- Avoid Pesticides: Keep gardens free of systemic insecticides that harm caterpillars and adult pollinators.
- Provide Nectar Flowers: Plant late-blooming native perennials to supply fuel for migrating autumn adults.
Müllerian Mimic (c) Benny Mazur, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Host Plant (c) Randy Nonenmacher, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Predator (c) Bill Bouton, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Close Relative Charles J. Sharp / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
Found in Collections
Mystic Meadows
Danaus plexippus is found in this collection. Identify it in Fauna to fill this slot and continue your progress.
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