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Minnesota State Butterfly:

Adult monarch butterfly on milkweed
Monarch butterfly on milkweed © photographer Lynn M. Rosenblatt,
author of MONARCH MAGIC, Ideals Publications: Monarch Butterfly USA

Monarch Butterfly

Minnesota adopted the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) as the official state butterfly in 1998. Monarch caterpillars appear to feed exclusively on milkweed, which grows throughout Minnesota.

Photo of monarch caterpillar on milkweed plant
Photo of monarch butterfly caterpillar on mlkweed plant
by Peggy Greb courtesy USDA Image Gallery

Both caterpillar and butterfly are brilliant in color as a warning - the Monarch ingests toxins from the milkweed plant which are poisonous to predators. The male butterfly has small black dots on its lower wings - females do not:

male monarch butterfly
Male (above) and female (below) monarch butterflies
photos © photographer Lynn M. Rosenblatt, author of
MONARCH MAGIC, Ideals Publications: Monarch Butterfly USA
female monarch butterfly

Source:
State Butterfly: Minnesota Secretary of State
Links:
State Insects - 50 States

       

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MONARCH MAGIC! Butterfly Activities & Nature Discovery Children's Book
MONARCH MAGIC! Butterfly Activities & Nature Discovery by Lynn M. Rosenblatt: Award-winning, one-of-a-kind children's book ... more