Photo of the Day
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Orange, beige, and black-spotted monarch butterflies cluster together, almost covering the trunk of an oyamel fir tree.
October 9, 2026 | Wanderers
Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) cluster on the trunk of an oyamel fir (Abies religiosa) in the Sierra Chincua Sanctuary, part of Mexico’s Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Michoacán. The reserve protects the high-altitude forests and precise mountain microclimate that provide essential winter habitats for up to 70 percent of the world’s eastern monarch population. Monarch butterflies are key pollinators for wildflowers, as well as a crucial food source for birds, small mammals, and other insects. This photograph is featured in National Geographic Explorer Jaime Rojo's book Monarchs.
