2012•Veld & FloraRequires access
The African Monarch butterfly
Andre Claassens
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Abstract
The African Monarch (Danaus chrysippus aegyptius), also known as the Milkweed Butterfly is a member of the Danainae, a subfamily of the large family of Nymphalidae to which only six South African species of butterflies (together with some varieties) belong. Its closest relative is the much published migratory butterfly, Danaus plexippus, that migrates in masses of thousands from its summer region in North America southwards to its wintering grounds in Texas and Mexico, a distance of 2000 to 3000 km. Their offspring fly northwards again in spring.