MONARCH BUTTERFLY LIFE CYCLE AND FUN FACTS

SPECIAL NOTE: The IUCN (the International Union for Conservation of Nature) has listed monarchs as endangered. To date, it is still not listed as endangered on the CA Endangered Species Act (ESA) or the federal ESA. They are currently being considered for listing on the federal ESA, and a decision is expected in 2024. So, now, they are considered a ‘candidate’ species. They are threatened by loss of habitat, loss of food resource (Milkweed), pesticides, and climate change.

LIFE CYCLE: The female butterfly will only lay her eggs on her chosen host plant. In the case of Monarchs, the female will deposit her eggs only on milkweed plants. Within a few days, a caterpillar (larva) will emerge and feast on the milkweed leaves. During this time, the caterpillar will molt 5 times, called instars, until it reaches a mature size. It will then encapsulate itself and form a Chrysalis. Eventually, a mature butterfly will emerge, spend a few hours flapping and drying its wings, then flies off to the nearest nectar plant where it dips its proboscis into the heart of a flower and sips its sweet nectar. It will then fly off to begin its life’s journey.

Interesting facts about Monarch Butterflies:

Monarch butterflies are fascinating creatures known for their incredible migration and delicate beauty. A female monarch can lay up to 400 eggs, usually on milkweed plants, which serve as food for the caterpillars. These butterflies migrate long distances, traveling between 50 to 100 miles each day, with their journey sometimes covering over 2,000 miles. In the winter, they gather in dense clusters along the California coast, the forests of central Mexico, or parts of Florida. A group of butterflies is called a flutter.

Monarchs can flap their wings up to 12 times per second, or 720 times per minute.

Male monarchs can be identified by the black spots on their hind wings, which females do not have. Their wingspan is about four inches, and they weigh less than an ounce—roughly the same as a blade of grass. Depending on the season and generation, adult monarchs live anywhere from four weeks to eight months.

Monarch butterflies breathe through tiny openings on the sides of their bodies called spiracles and use their antennae to smell. While they have a poor sense of hearing, they have compound eyes that allow them to see colors—including ultraviolet light, which humans cannot see. They use a long, straw-like structure called a proboscis to slurp up nectar and water.

To help monarchs thrive, it’s important to plant native milkweed..

in your garden—ideally three to seven plants grouped together—providing a place for female butterflies to lay their eggs and a food source for the emerging caterpillars. Surrounding the milkweed with nectar-rich plants like yarrow, buckwheat, or lantanas will offer nourishment for the adult butterflies as well.

Some of the So. Calif. Butterflies and their
Host Plants for Caterpillars

California is home to 1,368 species of butterflies, with around 107 species found specifically in Southern California. The butterflies featured below are commonly seen in the Inland Empire region. Those marked with “XX” have been specially noted or added to the list by Gordon Pratt, a local butterfly expert. To support these species, it’s important to plant several of their specific host plants—listed in parentheses—grouped in clusters of three to seven. These plants provide essential food for the caterpillars. Surrounding them with a variety of flowering nectar plants will help nourish the adult butterflies as well.

Monarch
(host: Milkweed)

California Sister
(host: Oaks)

Acmon Blue
(host: Buckwheat))

Cloudless Sulfur
(host: Sennas)

Brown Elfin
(host: Manzanita, Cherries, Rosaceae)

Chalcedon Checkerspot
(host: Yellow flowered Penstemon, Bush Monkey)

Mourning Cloak
(host: Willow, Elm, Hackberry)

XX Checkered White
(host: Mustards)

Lorquin’s Admiral
(host: Willows)

XX Painted Lady
(host: Thistles, Mallows)

Common Buckeye
(host: Snapdragons, Plantains)

Gabb’s Checkerspot
(host: Calif. Aster)

Callippe Fritillary
(host: Violets)

Sara’s Orangetip
(host: Native Mustards)

Queen
(host: Milkweed)

XX Western Tiger Swallow
(host: Sycamore, Willows, Ash)

XX Behr’s Metalmark
(host: Buckwheats)

American Lady
(host: Calif. Everlasting)

California Dogface
(host: False Indigo)

San Emigdio Blue (endangered)
(host: Shadscale)

Hermes Copper Butterfly (endngred)
(host: Spiny Redberry)

XX Bernardino Blue
(host: Buckwheat)

XX Gray Hairstreak
(host: mallow, legume, clover)

XX Fiery Skipper
(host: Creeping Love Grass)

XX Alfalfa
(host: vetch, alfalfa, clover)

BUTTERFLY GARDEN DESIGNS

W=Width of plant at maturity in feet
Don’t use pesticides or herbicides, as it will kill your pollinators.

SMALL SIZE BUTTERFLY GARDEN

Narrowleaf Milkweed (3 plants) – 2’ wide
(Host plant for Monarch & Queen butterflies)
California Buckwheat (3 plants) – 3’ wide
Golden Yarrow (3 plants) – 2’ wide
Violet Lilac (3 plants) – 3’–4’ wide
Red Buckwheat (1 plant) – 3’ wide

Narrowleaf Milkweed

Red Buckwheat

Violet Lilac

Golden Yarrow

California Buckwheat

MEDIUM SIZE BUTTERFLY GARDEN 8’ x 8’

( ) Number of plants needed, followed by width of mature plant

Hummingbird sage, Salvia spathacea (1) 3’W
Showy Penstemon, Penstemon spectabilis (1) 3’W
Narrowleaf Milkweed, Asclepias fascicularis (3) 2’W; (host plant for Monarch and Queen butterflies)
Desert Globemallow, Sphaeralcea ambigua (4) 4’W
Golden Yarrow, Eriophyllum confertiflorum (5) 2’W
California Bluebells, Phacelia minor (6) 2’W
Common Yarrow, Achillea millefolium (6) 2’W

Golden Yarrow

California Bluebells

Hummingbird Sage

Common Yarrow

Desert Globemallow

De La Mina Verbena

Showy Penstemon

Narrowleaf Milkweed

Explore More: Resources & Local Support for Monarch Gardens

📁 Helpful Websites

MonarchWatch.org – Apply for a Certificate for your Monarch Butterfly Waystation
SaveOurMonarchs.org – Educational programs and personal guidance
MonarchJointVenture.org – Monarch education resources
JoyfulButterflies.com – General butterfly education
Monarchs in the Rough – Habitat programs for golf courses
Xerces.org – Invertebrate and habitat conservation nonprofit
HomegrownNationalPark.org – Certify your pollinator garden