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Monarch

Danaus plexippus

Butterfly or moth · family Nymphalidae · order Lepidoptera

  1. G1
    Critically imperiled
  2. G2
    Imperiled
  3. G3
    Vulnerable
  4. G4
    Apparently secure
  5. G5
    Secure

NatureServe global rank G4: apparently secure[2].

Updated October 30, 2026. Published by Humblebee.

Monarch
Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Endangered Species Act
Proposed Threatened[1]
NatureServe global rank
G4 Apparently Secure[2]
Native in
49 states[3]

The Monarch (Danaus plexippus) is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae[4]. It is proposed for listing as Threatened under the US Endangered Species Act[1], and NatureServe lists it as native in 49 US states and territories[3].

Conservation status

Under the US Endangered Species Act, the Monarch butterfly has the status Proposed Threatened, which means federal wildlife officials have proposed listing it but the listing is not final[1]. Worldwide, NatureServe ranks it G4, Apparently Secure[2]. In the United States, NatureServe rates breeding Monarchs as Secure but nonbreeding Monarchs as Imperiled, meaning at high risk[5]. The IUCN Red List category recorded by NatureServe is Least concern[6].

Status Value
Endangered Species Act[1] Proposed Threatened
NatureServe global rank[2] G4 (Apparently Secure)
NatureServe US rank[5] N5B,N2N (Secure (breeding), Imperiled (nonbreeding))
IUCN Red List (via NatureServe)[6] Least concern

Where Monarch lives

NatureServe lists the Monarch as native in 49 US states and territories, from Maine and Florida in the east to Washington and California in the west[3]. It is listed as introduced, meaning not native, in Hawaii[7]. NatureServe also gives each state its own conservation rank, and these ranks differ widely from state to state[8].

Alaska: not recordedAKMaine: native, state rank S3BMEWisconsin: native, state rank S3WIVermont: native, state rank S2BVTNew Hampshire: native, state rank S5NHWashington: native, state rank S1BWAIdaho: native, state rank S2BIDMontana: native, state rank S2MTNorth Dakota: native, state rank S5BNDMinnesota: native, state rank S5BMNIllinois: native, state rank S5ILMichigan: native, state rank S5MINew York: native, state rank S5NYMassachusetts: native, state rank S5MAOregon: native, state rank S4BORNevada: native, state rank S3BNVWyoming: native, state rank S2WYSouth Dakota: native, state rank SNASDIowa: native, state rank S5BIAIndiana: native, state rank S4BINOhio: native, state rank S5OHPennsylvania: native, state rank S3BPANew Jersey: native, state rank S3NJConnecticut: native, state rank S5CTRhode Island: native, state rank SNARICalifornia: native, state rank SNRCAUtah: native, state rank S2UTColorado: native, state rank S4CONebraska: native, state rank S2NEMissouri: native, state rank S5MOKentucky: native, state rank SNRKYWest Virginia: native, state rank S3BWVVirginia: native, state rank SUVAMaryland: native, state rank S3BMDDelaware: native, state rank S5DEArizona: native, state rank S3NAZNew Mexico: native, state rank S3NMKansas: native, state rank S5BKSArkansas: native, state rank S5BARTennessee: native, state rank S4TNNorth Carolina: native, state rank S4NCSouth Carolina: native, state rank S4SCDistrict of Columbia: native, state rank S4BDCOklahoma: native, state rank SNROKLouisiana: native, state rank S4LAMississippi: native, state rank S5BMSAlabama: native, state rank S5ALGeorgia: native, state rank S4GAHawaii: introduced, state rank SNAHITexas: native, state rank S4B,S4NTXFlorida: native, state rank S4FLPuerto Rico: not recordedPR
State presence as recorded by NatureServe[8].
Show state ranks (50 states)
StateRankMeaning
AlabamaS5Secure
ArizonaS3NVulnerable (nonbreeding)
ArkansasS5BSecure (breeding)
CaliforniaSNRNot Ranked
ColoradoS4Apparently Secure
ConnecticutS5Secure
DelawareS5Secure
District of ColumbiaS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
FloridaS4Apparently Secure
GeorgiaS4Apparently Secure
HawaiiSNANot Applicable
IdahoS2BImperiled (breeding)
IllinoisS5Secure
IndianaS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
IowaS5BSecure (breeding)
KansasS5BSecure (breeding)
KentuckySNRNot Ranked
LouisianaS4Apparently Secure
MaineS3BVulnerable (breeding)
MarylandS3BVulnerable (breeding)
MassachusettsS5Secure
MichiganS5Secure
MinnesotaS5BSecure (breeding)
MississippiS5BSecure (breeding)
MissouriS5Secure
MontanaS2Imperiled
NebraskaS2Imperiled
NevadaS3BVulnerable (breeding)
New HampshireS5Secure
New JerseyS3Vulnerable
New MexicoS3Vulnerable
New YorkS5Secure
North CarolinaS4Apparently Secure
North DakotaS5BSecure (breeding)
OhioS5Secure
OklahomaSNRNot Ranked
OregonS4BApparently Secure (breeding)
PennsylvaniaS3BVulnerable (breeding)
Rhode IslandSNANot Applicable
South CarolinaS4Apparently Secure
South DakotaSNANot Applicable
TennesseeS4Apparently Secure
TexasS4B,S4NApparently Secure (breeding), Apparently Secure (nonbreeding)
UtahS2Imperiled
VermontS2BImperiled (breeding)
VirginiaSUUnrankable
WashingtonS1BCritically Imperiled (breeding)
West VirginiaS3BVulnerable (breeding)
WisconsinS3Vulnerable
WyomingS2Imperiled

Habitat

NatureServe records the Monarch in many habitat types, including several kinds of woodland, shrubland, savanna, grassland, old fields, dunes, cropland, suburban areas and wetlands[9]. Most breeding happens wherever milkweed grows, such as grasslands, roadsides, farm fields, and parks and gardens in towns[10]. Adults rest together in trees close to water, mostly maples and conifers in the northern US and pecans and oaks in the southern US[10].

Habitat types recorded by NatureServe[9]

Diet

Monarch caterpillars depend on milkweed plants as their food[11]. Adults drink nectar from many kinds of flowers, so NatureServe calls them nectarivores, meaning nectar eaters[11][12].

Trait Value
Food habits[12] Nectarivore
Migration[13] non-migrant, local migrant, long-distance migrant

When to look for it

NatureServe notes that Monarch populations can differ: some do not migrate, some move short distances, and some travel long distances[13]. On GBIF, most US records of Monarchs fall in July, August and September, and August has the most[14]. These records show when people look for and report Monarchs, not how many there are[14].

January: 4,813 recordsJanFebruary: 3,981 recordsFebMarch: 8,197 recordsMarApril: 15,298 recordsAprMay: 14,574 recordsMayJune: 21,295 recordsJunJuly: 51,625 recordsJulAugust: 74,812 recordsAugSeptember: 64,996 recordsSepOctober: 38,548 recordsOctNovember: 12,553 recordsNovDecember: 6,322 recordsDec
US observation records on GBIF by month, all years. The three months with the most records are highlighted. Records show when people look and report, not how many animals there are[14].
Show records by month
MonthRecords
January4,813
February3,981
March8,197
April15,298
May14,574
June21,295
July51,625
August74,812
September64,996
October38,548
November12,553
December6,322

Where to see it

This species is protected or at risk, so we show its range only at the state level. We do not publish parks, nesting, spawning or wintering sites.

States with the most GBIF observation records: California, Texas, Illinois, Ohio, New York[15]. These counts follow where people look and report, not population size.

Questions people ask

Is the Monarch butterfly endangered?
The Monarch is not listed as Endangered. Under the US Endangered Species Act its status is Proposed Threatened[1]. NatureServe ranks it Apparently Secure worldwide, while US nonbreeding Monarchs are ranked Imperiled[2][5].
Where do Monarch butterflies live?
NatureServe lists the Monarch as native in 49 US states and territories and as introduced in Hawaii[3][7]. It uses many habitats, from grasslands and woodlands to gardens and wetlands[9].
What do Monarch butterflies eat?
Caterpillars need milkweed plants[11]. Adults drink nectar from many different flowers[11][12].
When is the best time to see Monarch butterflies?
Most US GBIF records of Monarchs fall in July, August and September[14]. This shows when people report them, not how many there are[14].
Do Monarch butterflies migrate?
Some do. NatureServe says Monarch populations can be non-migrants, local migrants or long-distance migrants[13].

Facts and sources

  1. Under the US Endangered Species Act, Monarch butterfly has the status Proposed Threatened (USFWS ECOS). States in the listed range: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii,... USFWS ECOS
  2. NatureServe global conservation status rank for Monarch: G4 (Apparently Secure). NatureServe Explorer
  3. NatureServe lists Monarch as native in 49 US states and territories: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, the District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana,... NatureServe Explorer
  4. Monarch (Danaus plexippus) is a butterfly or moth in the family Nymphalidae, order Lepidoptera. NatureServe Explorer
  5. NatureServe national rank in the United States: N5B,N2N (Secure (breeding), Imperiled (nonbreeding)). NatureServe Explorer
  6. IUCN Red List category as recorded by NatureServe: Least concern. NatureServe Explorer
  7. NatureServe lists Monarch as introduced (not native) in: Hawaii. NatureServe Explorer
  8. NatureServe state ranks for Monarch (map and table on this page). NatureServe Explorer
  9. Habitat types NatureServe records for Monarch: Forest - conifer, Woodland - hardwood, Woodland - conifer, Woodland - mixed, Shrubland/chaparral, Savanna, Grassland/herbaceous, Old field, Sand/dune, Cropland/hedgerow, Suburban/orchard, Herbaceous wetland,... NatureServe Explorer
  10. NatureServe notes on habitat for Monarch. NatureServe Explorer
  11. NatureServe notes on food for Monarch. NatureServe Explorer
  12. Adult food habits recorded by NatureServe: Nectarivore. NatureServe Explorer
  13. NatureServe migration category for Monarch: non-migrant, local migrant, long-distance migrant (populations can differ). NatureServe Explorer
  14. GBIF observation records of Monarch in the US by month (chart on this page). GBIF
  15. US states with the most GBIF observation records of Monarch: California, Texas, Illinois, Ohio, New York. Record counts follow observer effort, not population size. GBIF

Status, range and habitat come from NatureServe Explorer (CC BY 4.0) and USFWS ECOS at the snapshot date. Listings change by federal rule. State lists are where NatureServe records the species, not a promise that you will see it there. Never name a place smaller than a state. GBIF and park records count observations and checklists. They show where and when people report the species, not how many animals live there.

NatureServe. 2026. NatureServe Explorer [web application]. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. Available https://explorer.natureserve.org. (Accessed: October 30, 2026). Licensed under CC BY 4.0; SpeciesFacts selected and summarized it.

Photo: Didier Descouens, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.