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beautiful monarch butterfly is the national insect of U.S.
The wing span is about 3-4 inches with bright orange patches
with black borders. On the outer margins are white spots.
You have probably seen this insect in United States or Canada
in medows and farms.
In winter, these insects
completely dissappear from north America. They migrate deep
into the forests of Mexico in clouds of millions. The feed
on nector that helps them sustain themselves during their
long journey southward and also during their winter hibernation.
These butterflies are slow fliers and average a distance
of about 50 miles each day. However they do use the northward
winds and columns of rising air to carry them to high altitudes
from where they can glide along.
Fir forests at an elevation of about 10,000
feet like the Angangueo valley and certain places on the
California coast are ideal places for the Monarch to survive
the winter. The life span Monarch varies from about two
to five weeks and if they manage to survive the winter go
on to live a much longer life of about 8-9 months.
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