The monarch butterfly or simply monarch (Danaus plexippus) is a milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae) in the family Nymphalidae. The eastern North American monarch population is notable for its annual southward late-summer autumn migration from the northern and central United States and southern Canada to Florida and Mexico. During the fall migration, monarchs cover thousands of miles, with a corresponding multi-generational return north. Its host plant is Milkweed. Like all Lepidoptera, monarchs undergo complete metamorphosis their life cycle has four phases: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The larva (caterpillar) has five stages (instars), molting at the end of each instar. Instars last about 3 to 5 days, depending on factors such as temperature and food availability. Ruby-Throated Hummingbird: Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and constituting the biological family Trochilidae. They are the smallest of bird. They are known as hummingbirds because of the humming sound created by their beating wings, which flap at high frequencies audible to humans.
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