Danaus plexippus

Description:

Monarch butterfly NymphalidaeIntroduced to the Hawaiian IslandsOahu, Hawaii, USAA caterpillar feeding on Crown flower (Calotropis gigantea), a very large relative of milkweeds.There appears to be a love or hate affiliation with Crown flowers and Monarch butterflies, with some opinions straddling the fence. People who grow crown flowers for lei or merely as a landscape plant, understandably, do not want the caterpillars eating their plants. Those that love the Monarchs do not want to see them destroyed. But like it or not, Crown flower is a favored food for Monarch butterfly caterpillars in Hawaii. Untreated plants usually receive extensive damage to foliage. nativeplants.hawaii.edu/