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Variation

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See dedicated page: Variation


Adults are sexually dimorphic.[1]

The shape and color of the wings change at the beginning of the migration and appear redder and more elongated than later migrants.[2] Wings size and shape differ between migratory and non-migratory monarchs. Monarchs from eastern North America have larger and more angular forewings than those in the western population.[3]





Sexual dimorphism of monarchs
Female Male Description
Adult female.
Adult male.

Males are slightly larger than females[3][4] and have a black patch or spot of androconial scales on each hindwing. The male's black wing veins are lighter and narrower than those of females.[1]


Varieties of monarchs
Caterpillar Chrysalis Adult Description
D. p. plexippus caterpillar.
D. p. plexippus chrysalis.
D. p. plexippus adult.

Short paragraph or so of descriptive text.

D. p. plexippus form nivosus, or the white monarch. Caterpillar pictured.
D. p. plexippus form nivosus chrysalis.
D. p. plexippus form nivosus adult.

Known informally as the "white monarch", but called nivosus by lepidopterists. It is grayish white in all areas of its wings that are normally orange and is only about 1% or less of all monarchs, but populations as high as 10% exist on Oahu in Hawaii. Also observed in Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and the United States.[5]

D. p. nigrippus caterpillar.
D. p. nigrippus chrysalis.
D. p. nigrippus adult.

Short paragraph or so of descriptive text.

D. p. megalippe caterpillar.
D. p. megalippe chrysalis.
D. p. megalippe adult.

Short paragraph or so of descriptive text.

D. p. leucogyne caterpillar.
D. p. leucogyne chrysalis.
D. p. leucogyne adult.

Short paragraph or so of descriptive text.

D. p. portoricensis caterpillar.
D. p. portoricensis chrysalis.
D. p. portoricensis adult.

Short paragraph or so of descriptive text.

D. p. tobagi caterpillar.
D. p. tobagi chrysalis.
D. p. tobagi adult.

Short paragraph or so of descriptive text.

  1. ↑ a b "Monarch, Danaus plexippus". Archived from the original on 15 December 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2008.
  2. ↑ Satterfield, Dara A.; Davis, Andrew K. (April 2014). "Variation in wing characteristics of monarch butterflies during migration: Earlier migrants have redder and more elongated wings". Animal Migration. 2 (1). doi:10.2478/ami-2014-0001.
  3. ↑ a b "Petition to protect the Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus plexippus) under the endangered species act" (PDF). Xerces Society. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  4. ↑ Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Braby
  5. ↑ Gibbs, Lawrence; Taylor, O.R. (1998). "The White Monarch". Department of Entomology University of Kansas. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
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