monarch butterfly

Thân thiện

A monarch butterfly rests on a purple milkweed flower in a sunny meadow.

Definition

Noun: 1. A large, migratory butterfly (Danaus plexippus) native to the Americas, known for its striking orange wings with black veins and white spots along the edges. Its caterpillars feed exclusively on milkweed plants.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The monarch butterfly is famous for its incredible annual migration from North America to central Mexico.
  • We planted milkweed in our garden to attract and support the monarch butterfly.
  • The population of the monarch butterfly has been declining in recent years.

Advanced Usage

• As a symbol: The monarch butterfly is often used as a symbol of transformation, endurance, and the delicate balance of nature due to its metamorphosis and long migration.
  • The organization uses the image of the monarch butterfly to represent hope and resilience.

Variants and Related Words

• Monarch (noun): A common shortened, informal name for the monarch butterfly.
  • Look, a monarch just landed on that flower!
• Milkweed butterfly (noun): Another name for the monarch butterfly, referring to its larval host plant.

Synonyms

• Milkweed butterfly: A direct synonym referencing its caterpillar's food source.
• Danaus plexippus: The scientific, Latin name for the species.

Related Phrases

• Monarch migration: The specific, long-distance journey undertaken by these butterflies.
  • The monarch migration is one of nature's most spectacular events.
• Monarch caterpillar: The larval stage of the butterfly.
  • The monarch caterpillar is striped with yellow, black, and white.
• Monarch waystation: A garden or habitat planted with nectar sources and milkweed to support monarchs on their migration.
  • Our schoolyard was certified as a monarch waystation.

Học thuật

Noun

1. large migratory American butterfly having deep orange wings with black and white markings; the larvae feed on milkweed

Từ đồng nghĩa

• monarch
• milkweed butterfly
• Danaus plexippus