Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary
Every year from the end of October, millions of Monarch butterfies arrive to the Mexican forests in the State of Michoacán after a journey of over 4000 km from Canada and North U.S. The monarch butterfly (Danaus Plexippus Linneo) is highly resistant to the changing weather conditions. This butterfly usually lives a maximum of 9 months, which is nearly 12 times more than the regular butterflies.
The butterfly arrives to the municipalities of Zitacuato, Ocampo & Angangueo, located in the Mexican State of Michoacan. The Monarch butterfly are poisonous for their predators dur to the presence of cardenolyde aglycones, which carterpillars eat as they feed on milkweed. The bright contrast in the Monarch's bodies is known as Aposematism, which is a characteristic found in many insects to warn their predators about dangers and unpalatability.
The Monarch butterfly's mating period takes place during the spring. It usually counts with two phases, the aerial phase and the ground phase. During the aerial stage, the male pursues the female and takes her into ground. Colpulation takes place during the ground phase, where the male transfers its sperm to the female. The population returns north, where the female can place her eggs in places where the milkweed grows.
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