It spends the next two hours pumping blood from its abdomen into its wings, uncrinkling and opening and closing them in the drying sunlight and air. When it is ready, it flies off in search of food. Smell receptors on its antennae and taste sensors on its feet help the Monarch find and identify its food. The proboscis curls tightly under the Monarch's head when not in use. It takes five Monarchs to weigh as much as a U.S. penny.
Monarch butterflies die shortly after mating.
The cooler weather of Fall postpones the development of their reproductive organs and instead cues them to migrate south to warmer wintering grounds. There, they form colonies in small groves of forest, clinging to trunks, leaves and each other - almost entirely coating the midsection of the trees, the warmest and safest part. Most Monarchs west of the Rocky Mountains migrate to about 120 sites along the Pacific Coast, where their numbers are much smaller. No one knows for sure. They are strong, fast fliers, traveling at speeds of 10-30 mph.