Photo: Diane Edwardson, December 26, 2012. Look closely, the Monarch Butterfly's (Danaus plexippus) tongue is reaching up and over its head, into one of the top flowers on the left . (Click on photos to enlarge.)
Photo: Diane Edwardson, December 26, 2012. I haven't seen Monarchs in a long time. It seems like we used to see more 20 years ago. Now they are rare visitors on their winter migration to Mexico. Years ago, I seem to remember reading an old EIR, where it said the 5 Freeway corridor was along their primary migration route. My backyard is within 1000' of the 5 Freeway. (The Monarch was in my backyard, 6' from my back door.)
Photo: Diane Edwardson, December 26, 2012. UCI has a guide to Butterflies & Their Larval Food Plants by Peter J. Bryant, if you want to know what to plant to attract specific species to your yard. Bryant also posted a photo guide to Orange County butterflies (which is the closest I've found to Los Angeles butterflies).
