probably a dumb question but how long do they live for!im wondering because i wanted to know if they return to the plants they hatched from.
lythande1,
Jan 21, 3:11am
They may live a year, they may live longer, they don't return, usually cause the plant is history from all those hungry little grubs that ate it to death.
scruff71,
Jan 21, 6:30am
This year in my garden the Monarch caterpillars didn't get a chance to get to chrysalis stage. Weevils or a variety of beetle decimated the lot and the plant is growing very nicely.Maybe next year.
liggy2,
Jan 21, 6:33am
It depemds on the time of year -if butterflys are around spring and early summer they will not live for more than 6 months but the later ones will winter over and live for maybe a year.
dangerousdave8,
Jan 21, 6:01pm
thankyou all for the info,much appreciated:).
butterfly-trust,
Feb 2, 9:42am
Not a dumb question at all, DangerousDave8. So many people say to us that "they thought they only lived a day". According to scientists, a Monarch will live 6-8 weeks after it's finished doing what it's here to do - to breed. That's the lifespan of the ones during the season. But at the end of the summer, the Monarchs that emerge - although they're sexually mature - they are in a state called 'diapause' where they don't breed until the following spring. So they get to live throughout the winter, sheltering in trees and only emerging on those sunny days when they can top up their nectar supplies, and then they return in the spring to start the next season's generations. Members of the Monarch Butterfly NZ Trust actually put tags on their wings so that we can learn more about them - and what is happening to Nature. We'd welcome your involvement, check out www.monarch.org.nz for more information.
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