Monarch butterflies are the largest butterfly species in the Basin. Butterflies are insects. The scales of butterflies are pigmented. This allows them to scatter light into colors humans can see and some humans cannot see. The head of a butterfly has two eyes, a pair of antennae, and a tongue called a proboscis.
Butterflies uncoil the proboscis to drink nectar from flowers.
The middle part of a butterfly's body is called the thorax. Six legs and wings are attached to the thorax. The abdomen contains organs for digestion and reproduction. Butterflies fly only during the day, although some fly at dusk. Because butterflies are cold blooded, they are affected by climate.