Monarch on Yellow

by Judi Dressler

Title

Monarch on Yellow

Artist

Judi Dressler

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

Many of the Monarch Butterflies I see at this time of year have some damage to their wings from long flights in tough winds or other mishaps, but this one had perfect wings and sat on a flower with a beautiful background, kindly staying long enough for some photographs!

Famous for their seasonal migration, millions of gorgeous monarchs migrate from the United States and Canada south to California and Mexico for the winter. The distinctive colors warn predators that they’re foul-tasting and poisonous. The poison comes from their diet. Milkweed itself is toxic, but monarchs have evolved not only to tolerate it, but to use it to their advantage by storing the toxins in their bodies and making themselves poisonous to predators, such as birds.

Western monarchs have declined by more than 99 percent since the 1980s. Eastern monarchs have declined by an estimated 80 percent. The disappearance of milkweed is a major reason for their population decline. Milkweed is the only place monarchs will lay their eggs.

Photo taken on August 28, 2020, near Longmont, Colorado

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Descriptive keywords and tags for this image include monarch, butterflies, monarch butterflies, butterfly, flower, yellow flower, yellow, wildflower, floral, beautiful, elegant, insects, bugs, serenity, summer, danaus plexippus, rhopalocera, pollen, nectar, colorado, nature, dressler, and judi dressler.

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August 31st, 2020

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Viewed 942 Times  -  Last Visitor from Ottawa, ON - Canada on 04/23/2024 at 10:42 AM

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