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Monarch butterfly sitting on a tropical flower.

$Monarch butterfly \n(Danaus plexippus)$

Monarch butterfly sanctuary in San José del Rincón, State of Mexico. Each year, butterflies travel more than 2,500 miles from the forests of the United States and Canada, where they reproduce, to the forests of central Mexico, where they hibernate. Mexico has a protected natural area known as the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere, located in the states of Michoacán and the State of Mexico. It is currently recognized by UNESCO as a natural world heritage site.

$Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) resting on a coastal cypress tree branch in their winter nesting area.\n\nTaken in Santa Cruz, California, USA$

Monarch catapillars food source is milkweed

A beautiful monarch butterfly, flying from blossom to blossom of a butterfly bush.

Monarch butterfly feeding in pollinating flowers during shiny sunny day

Stage of transformation of the monarch. The chrysalis.

Close-up of a beautiful butterfly. Viewed at Butterfly Gardens located in Victoria, British Columbia.

Close-up of an orange, white and black monarch butterfly resting on a leaf during the summer.

A monarch butterfly, take a break on a leave in the jungle of Guatemala.

Colorful Tropical Butterfly Monarch on Green Leaf

Female Monarch butterfly laying an egg on the underside of a milkweed plant leaf

$Tiger Longwing (Heliconius hecale) Found throughout tropical regions of Central and South America, Heliconius hecale is notable for its advanced cognitive abilities—particularly spatial memory used to revisit favored feeding sites. This behavior makes it a valuable model in studies on insect learning and memory.\nUnlike most butterfly species, the Tiger Longwing has an extended adult lifespan of up to six months, attributed to its pollen-rich diet. Pollen not only enhances longevity but also contributes defensive compounds that deter predators—a classic case of chemically mediated aposematism.\nWith its striking black, orange, and yellow patterning, H. hecale is also used in mimicry studies, as it participates in Müllerian mimicry rings with other toxic species. Its ecological role extends to pollination, linking its survival strategies to broader tropical biodiversity dynamics.$