About Danaus plexippus

Each autumn millions of the migratory Monarch Butterfly, Danaus plexippus, undergo a long-distance migration of up to 4,000 km from eastern North America to their wintering grounds in central Mexico. During this migration, the Monarch uses a time-compensated sun compass to allow them to maintain a southerly direction. In addition to the great opportunities for studying circadian clockwork and the molecular basis of long-distance migration, the mimicry complex formed by the Monarch and the Viceroy butterflies offers insights into adaptive evolution.[1]

Picture credit (Creative Commons BY 2.0): Thomas Bresson 2010

Taxonomy ID 278856

Data source Princeton University

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