The monarch, known as the King of the Butterflies, goes through 4 life cycles, the egg, the larvae (caterpillar), the pupa (chrysalis), and the adult butterfly. In March and April, the eggs are laid on the milkweed plants in North America. However, monarch butterflies cannot survive cold weather, so they migrate in October, or sooner, to Mexico and southern California. Monarch butterflies are the only insects that travel 2,500 miles away from their birthplace. Monarch butterflies are poisonous, but not to humans. The chemicals from the milkweed plant they eat gives them a poisonous defense against predators, like frogs, birds, mice, and lizards. The adult monarch, returning north from Mexico, will only live a few months. During that time, children and adults chase them to hold them, if only for a moment.
