Monarchs
eventually lose their color because the scales get scraped off over
time. An
old monarch looks like a ghost of its former self. You can get an idea of a monarch's age based on the condition of its wings. Here is a fresh, new monarch and one that is about 7 months old.
![Monarchs eventually lose their color because the scales get scraped off over time.](https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/journeynorth.org/images/graphics/monarch/FadeTXd_500.jpg)
Photo
© Harlen Aschen
|