A Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) feeds on a creeping zinnia (Zinnia angustifolia) during fall migration, Oct. 23, 2021, in Fairhope, Alabama.


A Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) feeds on a creeping zinnia (Zinnia angustifolia) during fall migration, Oct. 23, 2021, in Fairhope, Alabama. Monarch butterflies are a frequent sight on the Alabama Gulf Coast during their fall migration to Mexico. Monarch butterflies typically live two to six weeks, but the last generation of the year, which undergoes migration, can live as long as nine months. Zinnias are a favorite flower of the Monarchs, which are often seen sipping nectar, are important pollinators. Creeping zinnia is native to Mexico and has been naturalized in the American Southwest. Zinnias are easily grown by seed and attract butterflies all season. They bloom from summer until the first frost. Zinnias are named for German botany professor Johann Gottfried Zinn, who brought the plant to Europe in the 1700s. (Photo by Carmen K. Sisson/Cloudybright)


Size: 4928px × 3264px
Location: Fairhope, Alabama, USA
Photo credit: © Carmen K. Sisson/Cloudybright / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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