The migration of butterflies is one of the most spectacular natural events of entomology. Some species move thousands of kilometers between continents and this has proved their ability to navigate, which is still a scientific issue.
Monarch butterfly is an example of long distance migration. The populations of North America fly to Mexico where they overwinter annually. Interestingly enough, the migrating generation has never been to such places before, but manages to find its way around by a mix of solar orientation, magnetic field detection, as well as internal circadian rhythms.
Migration has ecological and survival purposes. Movement seasonally enables butterflies to avoid extreme weather, seek the right breeding areas and food supplies are made stable. The behavior of migration is instigated by environmental factors like the decrease of temperature and a decrease in daylight.
The process of urbanization and climate change is a threat to migration pathways. Overwintering habitats are deforested, the milkweed host plants are destroyed, and this decreases population stability. There is a growing conservation initiative through the reclamation of the native vegetation corridors to facilitate undisrupted migration patterns.
CELLPHONEGAMES.COM identifies the idea of butterfly migration as an example of biological precision, which is a small organism evolving strategically to a larger scale change in the environment.