Monarch Butterfly

The Monarch Butterfly, also commonly known as the Wanderer, is very common in our part of Australia and is well-known in North America for its massive and wide-ranging migrations. In Australia, this species also makes limited migratory movements in our cooler areas. They take nectar from flowers to maintain their energy levels as they go.

What really surprises me is that it has only been present in Australia since about 1871. The one I found today was large and healthy, flitting around a bush right near our back door. They remind me of Tiffany lamps, being orange-brown with black wing veins and a black and white spotted band along the edge of the wings.

What I would really like to find is their caterpillar with its distinctive black, white and yellow stripes across its body. I have never seen one.

The bright colouration is a warning to predators that they are potentially toxic. The wingspan of this butterfly was probably around 8 cms which is a good adult size, seen better in LARGE.
This is the first Monarch blipped by myself or Paladian.