Kauaʻi record · KCA-IA-00635
Monarch
Danaus plexippus
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About Monarch
Monarch (Danaus plexippus) is a member of Nymphalidae in the order Lepidoptera. Its recorded origin status on Kauaʻi is introduced.
Monarch (Danaus plexippus) is documented from Kauaʻi. Brush-footed butterflies have complete metamorphosis. Adults are day-flying; caterpillars feed on specific host plants. On Kauaʻi, observations are most useful when they record host plant, egg/larva/chrysalis, adult sex and flower use. Where island-specific host, prey, breeding-site, abundance, or seasonal information is not yet firmly documented, those details should remain tied to direct specimens and field observations rather than inferred from populations elsewhere.
Monarch (Danaus plexippus) is an introduced butterfly established on Kauaʻi. Caterpillars feed on milkweeds, while adults visit flowers; egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, and adult are all conspicuous identification stages.
Kauaʻi occurrence evidence: BAMONA has verified Kauaʻi Monarch records through January 2026; ITIS lists Danaus plexippus as introduced in Hawaiʻi.
The cited occurrence evidence does not by itself establish current abundance or population trend on Kauaʻi.
Life cycle
Egg; caterpillar; pupa; adult.
Habitat
Open vegetation, gardens, forest edges and other sites with larval host and nectar plants.
Food and ecological role
Larvae feed on host plants; adults use nectar and other liquids.
Reproduction
Females lay eggs on or near suitable larval host plants.
Movement
Adults can be strong fliers and dispersers.
Ecosystem role
Herbivore as larva and flower visitor/pollinator as adult.
Threats and impacts
Local effects depend on host use and introduced/native status.
Monitoring
Record host plant, egg/larva/chrysalis, adult sex and flower use.
Names and classification
- Scientific name
- Danaus plexippus
- Common names
- Monarch
- Family
- Nymphalidae
- Order
- Lepidoptera
- Record type
- species
Kauaʻi occurrence and status
- Kauaʻi occurrence
- Present
- Origin
- Introduced
- Conservation status
- Not assessed
Process and seasonal context
- Seasonal description
- Monarch (Danaus plexippus) is a member of Nymphalidae in the order Lepidoptera. Its recorded origin status on Kauaʻi is introduced.