Earth Ranger kids are helping to protect bees by taking part in the Pollinator Power Mission! But bees aren’t the only pollinators; there are lots of other amazing animals that help to pollinate, like the monarch butterfly.

Meet a Monarch

Just like bees, monarchs are really important for all of us. As pollinators, they help make sure plants can reproduce and provide us with things like fruits to eat. Monarchs are one of the most easily recognized insects in North America. How well do you know monarch butterflies? Find out, by seeing how many of these monarch trivia questions you can answer!

1) How far do monarch butterflies migrate?

A) 500km B) 1,200 km C) 3,100 km

C) Around 3,100 km

A monarch’s migration cycle is longer then their lifespan. No one butterfly makes the entire round trip. Find out more about amazing animal migrations here.

2) What plant is the only kind monarchs will lay their eggs on?

A) Blueberry bush B) Milkweed C) Grass

B) Milkweed

Caterpillars will then feed on the leaves of milkweed.

3) What’s one of the biggest threats to monarch butterfly populations?

A) Water pollution B) Hunting C) Habitat degradation

C) Habitat degradation

4) What country do monarch butterflies, that live east of the Rocky Mountains, migrate south to?

A) Australia B) Madagascar C) Mexico

C) Mexico

5) What small national park is a migration stopover for birds and butterflies?

A) Algonquin B) Point Pelee C) Banff

B) Point Pelee

The Great Lakes act as a barrier for many migrating animals, it’s a long way to fly over! Butterflies and birds choose the shortest points to cross the lakes, like Point Pelee. Many species, like monarchs, stop here to rest during their migration.

6) When do monarchs return to southern Canada?

A) December B) September C) May

C) May

7) Monarch butterflies protect themselves from predators by doing what?

A) Tasting awful and being poisonous B) Camouflaging C) Migrating

A) Tasting awful and being poisonous

The milky sap in the milkweed that monarch butterfly caterpillars eat makes them poisonous and taste bad to birds. Animals that eat a monarch get very sick; they will remember that and avoid snacking on them in the future.

8) Which butterfly looks almost identical to a monarch?

A) Yellow dotted alpine B) Viceroy C) Great Southern white

B) Viceroy

Viceroy butterflies are mimics! They copy the look of another species to trick predators into thinking they are poisonous, just like the monarch butterfly. Find out more about viceroy butterflies and learn how to tell the difference between a monarch and a viceroy

9) How many stages are there in a monarch butterflies’ lifecycle?

A) Four B) Three C) Two

A) Four

Monarch butterflies start their life as an egg. They grow into a caterpillar then become a chrysalis, which hatches into an adult butterfly.

10) How can you help protect pollinators like the monarch butterfly

A) Planting a pollinator garden B) Report butterfly sightings

 

C) Don’t use pesticides on your garden D) All of the above

D) All of the Above

Get tips for making a butterfly garden here and report your butterfly sightings here.