Monarch Butterfly Couple
by Ms Judi
Title
Monarch Butterfly Couple
Artist
Ms Judi
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
The Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is a milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae) in the family Nymphalidae. It is perhaps the best known of all North American butterflies. Since the 19th century, it has been found in New Zealand, and in Australia since 1871, where it is called the wanderer. It is resident in the Canary Islands, the Azores, and Madeira, and is found as an occasional migrant in Western Europe and a rare migrant in the United Kingdom. Its wings feature an easily recognizable orange and black pattern, with a wingspan of 8.9–10.2 cm (3½–4 in). (The viceroy butterfly is similar in color and pattern, but is markedly smaller, and has an extra black stripe across the hind wing.) Female monarchs have darker veins on their wings, and the males have a spot called the androconium in the center of each hind wing. Males are also slightly larger than female monarchs.
The monarch is famous for its southward late summer/autumn migration from the United States and southern Canada to Mexico and coastal California, and northward return in spring, which occurs over the lifespans of three to four generations of the butterfly. The migration route was fully determined by Canadian entomologists Fred and Norah Urquhart after a 38-year search, aided by naturalists Kenneth C. Brugger and Catalina Trail who solved the final piece of the puzzle by identifying the butterflies' overwintering sites in Mexico. The discovery has been called the "entomological discovery of the 20th century". An IMAX film, Flight of the Butterflies, tells the story of the long search by the Urquharts, Brugger and Trail to unlock the secret of the butterflies' migration.
Uploaded
September 2nd, 2013
Statistics
Viewed 1,094 Times - Last Visitor from Fairfield, CT on 04/22/2024 at 6:42 AM
Embed
Share
Sales Sheet
Comments (18)
Gene Walls
Gorgeous photograph, Ms Judi! I love the striking sharpness and wonderful natural colors, all perfectly composed. Beautiful work! v/f
Ms Judi replied:
Thank you so much Gene for your wonderful comment and promotion! Your comment means a lot to me and I really appreciate your opinion. Have a great day. =)
Randy Rosenberger
Ms Judi, this is my fave combo of flowers and "flying flowers" and it is so elegantly captured and presented! Love it! fave and vote
Ms Judi replied:
Thank you so much Randy, your comments really make me feel good about my photos! =)
Pema Hou
This is beautiful, Ms Judi. You were so lucky to capture not one but two butterflies! V/F
Ms Judi replied:
Thank you so much Pema, You would have laughed if you saw me sitting there trying to get both of these, I'm in my wheelchair trying to position myself with one hand and using my camera in the other hand, was not easy! =)
Sonali Gangane
Beautiful capture!V
Ms Judi replied:
Thank you so much Sonali for your wonderful comment and promotion! Your comment means a lot to me and I really appreciate your opinion. Have a great day. =)
Ms Judi
Thank you so much Deena for your wonderful comment and promotion! Your comment means a lot to me and I really appreciate your opinion. Have a great day. =)
Lingfai Leung
Beautiful butterfly portrait. v/f
Ms Judi replied:
Thank you so much for your wonderful comment and promotion! Your comment means a lot to me and I really appreciate your opinion. Have a great day. =)