Giant monarch butterfly (SciiFii)

The giant monarch butterfly (Danaus giganteus), also simply known as the giant monarch, is a species of milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae) in the family Nymphalidae that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the rainforests, swamps, forests, and open woodlands across North America and South America to help boost biodiversity. The wings of the giant monarch butterfly feature an easily recognizable black, orange, and white pattern like the smaller common monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), but is the largest known butterfly, with a wingspan of 5 feet 11 inches to 7 feet 8 inches (1.8 to 2.34 metres), about the size of a golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos). As a Müllerian mimic, the giant monarch butterfly is similar in color and pattern to the common monarch butterfly, but the common monarch butterfly is markedly smaller, and the giant monarch butterfly has fewer white spots and black stripe across each hindwing. The eastern North American population of giant monarch butterflies is notable for its annual southward late-summer/autumn migration from the northern and central United States and southern Canada to Florida and Mexico. During the fall migration, giant monarchs cover thousands of miles, with a corresponding multi-generational return north. The western North American population of giant monarchs west of the Rocky Mountains often migrates to sites in southern California but has been found in overwintering Mexican sites as well. Due to its massive size compared with other butterflies, it has a slower wingbeat and needs large flowering plants such as sunflowers to obtain enough nectar and pollen for nutrients. The caterpillars of the giant monarch butterfly are also just as massive as the adults, resembling caterpillars of common monarch butterflies, but are about the size of domestic cats on average, just before they go into a state of metamorphosis. Unlike common monarch butterfly caterpillars, the caterpillars of giant monarch butterflies are not dependent on certain plant species, due to their massive sizes, so they feed on just about every kind of edible leafy vegetation, such as grasses. The conservation status of the North American owl butterfly is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the North American owl butterfly's wide range and its tolerance to many of the human activities.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii