Largest butterfly
The largest butterfly in the world is the female Queen Alexandra Birdwing butterfly. It has a wingspan up to 12 1/2 inches (32 cm); the male is smaller than the female with a wingspan of about 8 inches (20 cm). This lovely giant lives in New Guinea.
Smallest butterfly
The Western Pygmy-blue with a wingspan of about 3/8 of an inch (1.5 cm) is the smallest butterfly. It is found in the western United States. Despite its tiny size and seeming fragility, the Western Pygmy-blue emigrates northward each year from its year-round southern homeland.
Longest migration
Some monarchs migrate over 2,000 miles, flying from Canada to central Mexico in the fall.
Web Links
Monarch Butterfly Crafts
Make a Monarch Butterfly and discover some butterfly book recommendations!
All About the Monarch Butterfly
Find out about its life cycle, how to tell a male from a female, what it eats, how it protects itself from predators and more!
A plan to save the Monarch Butterfly
The Western Monarch butterfly is now an endangered species and there are conservation efforts in place to try to recover their numbers.