Interesting Facts
The Western Monarch is an endangered species for various reasons including habitat loss and a debilitating parasite called ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE). Monarchs make about a 2,500 mile journey from the US to Mexico every year. The journey can take up to 2 months, and it uses 3-4 generations per journey. But every fourth year there's a super generation - they live up to 8 months while the normal monarchs live only 5-7 weeks. The super generation lives through the whole journey.
Lifecycle of the
Western MOnarch
egg
Eggs are 1.2 mm high and 0.9 mm wide, cream or yellow in color.
Larvae
In the larval stage, monarchs are eating machines growing up to 2,000 times their original mass.
Pupa
The pupal stage lasts about 8-15 days. You can see the black and orange wing colors before they hatch.
Adult
Adult monarchs live 2-5 weeks during their breeding season. The migrating generation doesn’t reach maturity until overwintering is complete (about 6-9 months).