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April 2025 - Week 5 Roundup
- Vikram Nanjappa
- May 5
- 1 min read
African Monarch
Sighted on: 30.April.2025
This week’s highlight was the African Monarch butterfly (Danaus chrysippus), one of the most widespread butterfly species across the African continent. Its remarkable success lies in a clever defence mechanism: during its caterpillar stage, it feeds on milkweed plants, absorbing toxic compounds that remain in its body through adulthood. These toxins make it distasteful to most predators, giving it a crucial survival advantage.
Beyond its chemical defences, the African Monarch also displays some truly fascinating behaviours. For instance, it uses chemoreceptors on its feet to "taste" the surfaces it lands on, helping it determine whether a plant is suitable for feeding or laying eggs.
Another interesting behaviour is known as mud-puddling. You’ll often spot these butterflies gathered on damp ground, dung, or even animal scat—especially along roadsides—where they absorb essential nutrients like salts and amino acids. These nutrients play a key role in reproduction, particularly for males, enhancing their chances of successful mating.
The African Monarch is a brilliant example of nature’s ingenuity—beautiful to look at and even more impressive on closer observation.
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