monarch butterfly

[ mon-erk buht-er-flahy, mon-ahrk ]

noun

1. a large, deep-orange butterfly, Danaus plexippus, having black and white markings, the larvae of which feed on the leaves of milkweed: highly valued as a pollinator, the monarch butterfly is currently not evaluated by the IUCN, but the protection of the species and its habitat is central to several conservation efforts.

Word History and Origins

Origin of monarch butterfly¹

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

If they do get dirty, they’re machine washable, and they come in myriad colors and designs, from camo to monarch butterflies.

From Los Angeles Times

A bonus was a yard full of fragrance and endangered monarch butterflies.

From Los Angeles Times

And then she met a man at the farmer’s market who introduced her to the plants that help endangered monarch butterflies survive.

From Los Angeles Times

I agonize over the amount of plastic we can’t avoid using and mourn the monarch butterflies that have vanished.

From Los Angeles Times

He also advocates planting native milkweeds like narrow leaf and woollypod, summer bloomers that will attract lots of pollinators, especially the endangered Western monarch butterflies.

From Los Angeles Times