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Monarch
Wings Over Time
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Judy Front |
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Chuck Patterson |
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Kathy Metzger |
New and Fresh
When a monarch emerges from its chrysalis, it's born with vivid orange wings in pristine condition. |
Old and Worn
Wings that begin as fresh as a flower become dull, tattered, and torn over time. What happens? |
Rough Encounters
Over the course of a butterfly's life, its wings can be scratched by thorns, bristles, branches, grasses or anything sharp it encounters. |
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Chuck Patterson
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Dr. Lincoln P. Brower |
Susan Sommer |
Weather Wear
Wings can be damaged by wind, hail, snow, or rain. This female's forewings were tattered in a storm. The wind may have tossed her around or she may have been struck by flying debris. |
Narrow Escapes
Sometimes the tears or scratches on a wing show evidence of a predator. The V-shaped scratch on this female's hind wing was likely made by the beak of a bird. |
Sticky Situations
A butterfly may escape a spider's web but its wings may be damaged by the struggle. The sticky silk threads can remain clinging, too. |
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Debra Hendricks |
Raul Gonzalez |
Anita Brisco |
Losing Color
After many scrapes, scratches, nicks, and tears, a monarch no longer appears bright orange. |
Magnified Wing
The surface of a monarch's wing is covered with thousands of tiny, flat, colorful scales. As the monarch loses these scales, it loses its color. |
Losing Scales
As the scales are scraped off, the clear, paper-thin wing underneath becomes visible. |
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Harlen Aschen |
K.A. Stilwell |
Chuck Patterson |
Wings Show Age
The color and condition of a monarch's wings reveal its age. The young butterfly is vividly colored. The light-colored monarch is 7 months old and has lost most of its scales. |
Final Flights
By April, monarchs of the overwintering generation from Mexico have only a few weeks to live. The worn-winged butterflies are no longer their brilliant orange. |
A New Generation
By May, a new generation of monarchs emerges. On fresh wings, these butterflies will complete the spring migration. |