Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) at Brookfield Zoo
The butterfly species Danaus plexippus is commonly known as the Monarch butterfly. It is perhaps the most well-known of all North American butterflies. Since the 19th century, it is also found in New Zealand, and in Australia where it is known as the Wanderer Butterfly. In Europe it is resident in the Canary Islands and Madeira, and is found as a migrant in Russia, Azores, Sweden and Spain. Its wings feature an easily recognizable orange and black pattern, with a wingspan of – cm ( in–). (The Viceroy Butterfly has a similar size, color, and pattern, but can be distinguished by an extra black stripe across the hindwing.) Female monarchs have darker veins on their wings, and the males have a spot in the center of each hindwing from which pheromones are released.
Size: 5400px × 3600px
Location: Brookfield zoo, Brookfield, Illinois, USA
Photo credit: © Plamen Stanev / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: alamy, beautiful, butterfly, danaus, digital, harmony, image, insect, matter, monarch, nice, photography, picture, plamen, plexippus, space, stanev, time, unique
