Monarch Butterfly - Wild Aster T-Shirt

t-shirts flowers still life t-shirts flower t-shirts insects t-shirts monarch butterfly t-shirts danaus plexippus t-shirts milkweed butterfly t-shirts wild aster t-shirts staging area t-shirts resting t-shirts insect t-shirts north american t-shirts pollinator t-shirts migrating t-shirts black t-shirts orange t-shirts

photographs flowers still life photos flower photos insects photos monarch butterfly photos danaus plexippus photos milkweed butterfly photos wild aster photos staging area photos resting photos insect photos north american photos pollinator photos migrating photos black photos orange photos

A single monarch (Danaus plexippus) , appearing royal as its name, perches on a tiny wild aster blossom and sips nectar, gaining the strength it will need for its long journey south. This butterfly was one of a group that I had the pleasure to photograph during a staging or resting period in western Iowa. The area they had chosen was perfect for their needs: a small, dense woods grew on the north side of a little pond and the edges of the fields beyond it were filled with wildflowers in bloom. The insects had food, water, and shelter as they waited for the strong south wind to shift so they could continue their migration to Mexico.

Featured: Groovy Butterflies

I use my camera to explore the world around me and as a basis for creative expression. Because I live in Nebraska, I have a fondness for rural scenes that will be evident as you explore my images, but I enjoy traveling and have many other interests as well. I hope you enjoy your visit. All photographs and images in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Nikolyn McDonald. All rights reserved. Copying and/or distributing these images without my permission is strictly prohibited. You can contact me using this site's e-mail feature. You are invited to like my Facebook page.