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