Monarch (Danaus plexippus)

Picture of Monarch
© Eddie John

The Monarch, our largest butterfly, is a rare and sporadic migrant to Britain and Ireland. The majority of sightings are in the south-west of Britain. Although the butterfly now breeds in the Canary Isles and in a very restricted area in Spain, these migrants almost certainly originate from North America, as their arrival to our shores usually corresponds with major migrations there coinciding with favourable weather conditions that bring them across the Atlantic. (For further details on this species see http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/).


Family: Nymphalidae

Status: Insufficient information

Status details:Insufficient information

Log collated index plot

blank LCI plot - no data available

This chart shows the index of abundance (LCI = Log Collated Index) over time. It shows fluctuations in populations from year to year, and is scaled so that the average index over the whole series is equal to 2 (horizontal line). For greater detail about how this index is derived, click on the green question mark above.

Trend description:
There are no records of this butterfly on BMS transects.

Species distribution map

This map shows the distribution between 1995 and 1999. Data is derived from the Butterflies for the New Millenium dataset via the NBN Gateway (www.searchnbn.net).

Phenology plot
blank phenology plot - no data available

Phenology plot

This chart shows the average number of butterflies seen on transects between Arpil and October. The black line gives average counts over the full BMS series (1976 to date) and the red line gives the average for the last year.

blank abundance map - no data available

Abundance

This map shows symbols for the mean abundance at transect sites, with the size of symbol reflecting the level of abundance. Means are over all years.


Coverage

Insufficient information

Links to counts

2003, 2004, 2005, 2006

» How to get involved

» Wider countryside pilot - Now with online data entry

» Butterflies as indicators

» Key Findings

» News

» Reports & Publications

» Resources

» Species Lists

» Site Locations