Higher classification: Tiger milkweed butterflies
Scientific name: Danaus plexippus
Order: Lepidoptera
Class: Insecta
Family: Nymphalidae
Phylum: Arthropoda
Lifespan: Monarchs live for only 2-6 weeks.
The Rio Grande Valley is an important corridor in monarch migration because it is situated between the principal breeding grounds in the north and the overwintering areas in Mexico. Monarchs funnel through Texas both in the fall and the spring.
Photo RGV.com© staff
