Description
The Monarch caterpillar looks different from other types of butterflies. It has distinctive black, white and yellow stripes on the whole its body, with two pairs of black tentacles. One pair, longer than the other is located on the front of its body, with a shorter pair on the eighth of its body segment. The underside of the monarch butterflies' wings can be seen when the butterfly is at rest or when it is feeding on a flower. Instead of bright orange, the underside is more drab and orange-brown.
An adult Monarch Butterfly’s body is orange-brown with black wing veins and a black and white spotted band along the edge of the wings. The Monarch Butterfly is a strong flier and can cover long distances in their adult life. The bright colour of the Monarch Butterfly is a warning to predators that they may be toxic.
An adult Monarch Butterfly’s body is orange-brown with black wing veins and a black and white spotted band along the edge of the wings. The Monarch Butterfly is a strong flier and can cover long distances in their adult life. The bright colour of the Monarch Butterfly is a warning to predators that they may be toxic.
The Butterfly
Butterflies are insects, so their bodies are divided into 3 segments, the head, thorax and abdomen. The head has eyes, antennae and proboscis. The Thorax has the wings and legs and the abdomen has the internal organs like digestive system, excretory system, nervous system and sexual organs.
The Caterpillar
The larvae have a different body structure to adults. The head has the mouth and eyes, there are 3 thorax segments that only have 3 pairs of legs. After this comes the abdomen sections that have 5 pairs of (false) prolegs (1 or 2 pairs on looper caterpillars (no NZ butterfly has looper caterpillars)), which are in the middle and tail end of the caterpillar. There are spiracles (breathing holes) along the side of a caterpillar.
Males
Males have a black spot on a vein on each hind wing that the female does not. The spot is a scent gland that helps the males attract female mates.
Females
The ends of abdomens are different females, and they are often darker in colour and have wider veins on their wings.
Size and Speed
How They Breathe
The three stages of larva, pupa and adult Monarchs can all breathe. They breathe through tiny openings on the sides of their bodies called spiracles, which are located in their cuticle. Monarchs do not have lungs, but these holes open into a system of tubes, called trachea, in their body that carry oxygen throughout their bodies.
Excretion
Adult monarchs excrete to keep a constant level of salts and water in their blood, which also helps to get rid of toxic compounds that are produced during metabolism. This is done by using a system of tubes called Malpighian tubules which are found throughout their body. The tubules pick up materials from the blood and carry them to the rectum, where the materials that the butterfly doesn’t need is then concentrated in a liquid form.
Butterflies are insects, so their bodies are divided into 3 segments, the head, thorax and abdomen. The head has eyes, antennae and proboscis. The Thorax has the wings and legs and the abdomen has the internal organs like digestive system, excretory system, nervous system and sexual organs.
The Caterpillar
The larvae have a different body structure to adults. The head has the mouth and eyes, there are 3 thorax segments that only have 3 pairs of legs. After this comes the abdomen sections that have 5 pairs of (false) prolegs (1 or 2 pairs on looper caterpillars (no NZ butterfly has looper caterpillars)), which are in the middle and tail end of the caterpillar. There are spiracles (breathing holes) along the side of a caterpillar.
Males
Males have a black spot on a vein on each hind wing that the female does not. The spot is a scent gland that helps the males attract female mates.
Females
The ends of abdomens are different females, and they are often darker in colour and have wider veins on their wings.
Size and Speed
- The Monarch butterfly ranges from a wingspan from 8.6cm to 12.4 cm.
- The Monarch butterfly has been known to reach speeds up to 40km per hour.
- Monarch’s average weight is about half a gram. This can vary from .27grams to about .75grams.
How They Breathe
The three stages of larva, pupa and adult Monarchs can all breathe. They breathe through tiny openings on the sides of their bodies called spiracles, which are located in their cuticle. Monarchs do not have lungs, but these holes open into a system of tubes, called trachea, in their body that carry oxygen throughout their bodies.
Excretion
Adult monarchs excrete to keep a constant level of salts and water in their blood, which also helps to get rid of toxic compounds that are produced during metabolism. This is done by using a system of tubes called Malpighian tubules which are found throughout their body. The tubules pick up materials from the blood and carry them to the rectum, where the materials that the butterfly doesn’t need is then concentrated in a liquid form.