The Monarch Butterfly - West Virginia's State Butterfly

The Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) was adopted as West Virginia's state butterfly in 1995.

Male and female Monarchs look very similar. Females have thicker black wings veins, while males have a dark spot in the middle of their hind wings from which pheramones are released.

Monarchs are poisonous to the animals that eat them. This is due to the fact that they eat the poisonous milkweed plant when they are caterpillars. Animals who eat the Monarchs will get sick but generally do not die. They do, however, learn to recognize the Monarch and will avoid eating it in the future. The non-poisonous Viceroy butterfly is a Monarch mimic, and because of its similar coloring, animals will also avoid eating them as well.

The Monarch is the insect of Alabama, Idaho, Illinois, and Texas, and the state butterfly of Minnesota and West Virginia. It is also the national insect of Canada