Monarch Butterflies In Virginia Make A Beautiful Springtime Spectacle

Good news, nature enthusiasts! Along with the arrival of warmer days, wildflowers, and hummingbirds, you can now look forward to spotting some beautiful monarch butterflies in Virginia. These magical creatures have journeyed northward from Mexico and are preparing to complete their cycle in the migration progress before heading south again in the fall. In the meantime, you can keep your eyes peeled for their beautiful shades of orange, black, and white.

When the monarchs return from their winter in warmer climates, they are on a mission to lay eggs.

Claude LeTien / Getty Images

Monarch butterflies will lay eggs on milkweed plants, which have leaves that are necessary for the egg and larvae stage of the butterfly lifecycle.

Nikki O’Keefe Images / Getty Images

The next generation that will emerge from these plants is the one that will take flight and continue northward.

Fritz Flohr Reynolds / flickr

In fact, the monarch butterfly goes through four generations between spring and summer, all in preparation for the important trip back south in the fall.

C Watts / flickr

The fourth generation that makes this remarkable journey is known as the Super Generation. These butterflies can live up to nine months, compared to other generations, which only live between two to six weeks.

Shane Kemp / flickr

If you’d like to increase your odds of spotting butterflies along their migration and love the idea of helping them out, you’re in luck! Planting milkweed, also known as Asclepias, will ensure the insects are safe.

Chesapeake Bay Program / flickr

Do you know why monarch butterflies are orange? The bright hue warns predators about potentially poisonous chemicals, which the butterfly gets from milkweed. How incredible is that?

Judy Gallagher / flickr

The wonderful map below, courtesy of Journey North, shows this year’s progress of the migrating monarch butterfly. As you’ll see, most sightings have occurred along the coast.

Journey North

Have you noticed any beautiful monarch butterflies in Virginia? If so, be sure to share your sightings with us in the comments below! For more up-to-date information about the springtime butterfly migration, you can visit the Journey North map.