Monarch butterfly
Danaus plexippus
The Monarch Butterfly, Winged Traveler of the Zoo Valley
The monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is one of the most recognizable butterflies in the world. Its orange wings veined in black and punctuated with white immediately catch the eye. Present in the Antilles, it frequents open areas, gardens and environments rich in flowering plants.
The Martinique Zoo is located in a valley that is naturally favorable to butterflies. The diversity of trees, shrubs and host plants has long concentrated all the resources necessary for their life cycle there. Nectar, foliage and sheltered areas are combined here. This plant richness explains why butterflies have always been present in this landscape, long before the park was developed.
The monarch depends heavily on certain plants to thrive. Its caterpillar feeds almost exclusively on milk grasses (Asclepias), while the adult collects nectar from numerous tropical flowers.
Classified as Least Concern (LC) by the IUCN globally, the monarch nevertheless remains sensitive to the disappearance of host plants and to the use of pesticides.
At the Martinique Zoo, a large aviary allows you to observe monarch butterflies evolve freely and to discover the different stages of their transformation, in an environment close to their natural conditions. You will pass through the middle of the aviary before entering the feline zone, see Cougars and black jaguar.
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Quelques anecdotes
Natural protection against predators
By feeding on milk grasses in the form of caterpillars, the monarch accumulates toxic substances. These compounds are retained as adults and make the butterfly unpalatable to birds. Its bright color acts as a warning signal.
A fascinating metamorphosis
The monarch undergoes a complete metamorphosis: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis then butterfly. Observing this transformation into an aviary allows us to understand one of the most spectacular biological cycles of the living world.
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