CIBED - - Monarch Butterfly

Danaus plexippus Monarch Butterfly Pepe Renga ^MG

f.NYMPHALIDAE Nymph Butterflies sf.Danainae

Danaus plexippus Monarch Butterfly Pepe Renga ^MG

f.NYMPHALIDAE Nymph Butterflies sf.Danainae

Cook Islands Status Summary

Show Notes

Intl. NamesMonarch Butterfly ^EN Milkweed Butterfly ^EN Wanderer Butterfly ^EN

Local NamesPepe^{RR,AT,MK,MT,AK} Pepe Renga^MG

Pacific NamesNo Content

Sci. NamesDanaus plexippus (accepted name)

High Tax. Eng.k.Animals, p.Arthropods, spc.Hexapods, c.Insects, o.Moths and Butterflies, f.Nymph Butterflies, spf.Butterflies - Butterfly

High Tax. Latink.ANIMALIA, p.ARTHROPODA, sp.ATELOCERATA, spc.HEXAPODA, c.INSECTA, sc.PTERYGOTA, o.Lepidoptera, spf.Papilionoidea, f.NYMPHALIDAE, sf.Danainae

Natl. PresencePresent

Sth. PresenceRR⁺⁺MG⁺⁺AT⁺⁺MK⁺⁺MT⁺⁺AK^PPL^-MN^-TK^-

Nth. PresenceTN^-MH^-RK^-PK^-NS^-SW^-

VouchersRR¹⁹⁸⁰ MG¹⁹⁸⁰ AT¹⁹⁸⁰ MK¹⁹⁸⁰ MT¹⁹⁸⁰

Local OriginIntroduced; Recent; Naturalised

Global RangeNative: Canada - Mexico - n.S.America; since ~1850 cirumglobal, including Polynesia;

HabitatLand

ThreatenedNo Content

InvasivenessNo Content

BiosecurityNo Content

Medical StatusNo Content

Harmful StatusNo Content

UsesNo Content

IdentificationLarge orange and black butterfly, to 10cmWS. BODY black with white markings. WINGS orange with black veins and wide black border with white spots. MALE has a black spot near inner vein on hindwing. CATERPILLAR to 5cmBL, whole body has narrow black, yellow, and white bands. PUPA (=chrysalis) green with gold spots

Multimedia & Other Resources

Photographs: 4
Video: 0
Audio: 0
Documents: 0
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5AUy067a_Dana-plex_

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Adult and caterpillar

caterpillar - chrysalis - hatched adult

Adult

Adult - in flight

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Adult and caterpillar (jpg)
caterpillar - chrysalis - hatched adult (jpg)
Adult (jpg)
Adult - in flight (jpg)

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Vernacular Names

English and International Names

Monarch Butterfly ^EN Milkweed Butterfly^EN Wanderer Butterfly^EN

Pacific Names

No Pacific Names

Local Names

Pepe^{RR,AT,MK,MT,AK} Pepe Renga^MG

National Name: Pepe Renga ^MG

Island	Status	Main name
National name	MG	Pepe Renga
Rarotonga	++	Pepe
Mangaia	++	Pepe Renga
Ātiu	++	Pepe
Ma‘uke	++	Pepe
Miti‘āro	++	Pepe
Aitutaki	P	Pepe
Palmerston	-	A,nN
Tongareva-write	-	A,nN
Tongareva-speak	-	A,nN
Manihiki	-	A,nN
Rakahanga	-	A,nN
Pukapuka	-	A,nN
Nassau	-	A,nN

Scientific Names and Taxonomy

National Distribution & Vouchers

National Presence:

Present

Oceanic

islands: [ , {label: 'Rarotonga', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 404.5, left: 210.5, labelLeft: 222, labelTop: 404} , {label: 'Mangaia', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 427.5, left: 261.5, labelLeft: 274, labelTop: 426} , {label: 'Ātiu', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 372.5, left: 261.5, labelLeft: 244, labelTop: 382} , {label: 'Ma‘uke', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 374.5, left: 282.5, labelLeft: 284, labelTop: 385} , {label: 'Miti‘āro', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 358.5, left: 274.5, labelLeft: 283, labelTop: 351} , {label: 'Aitutaki', stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 334.5, left: 210.5, labelLeft: 209, labelTop: 321} , {label: 'Palmerston', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 309.5, left: 112.5, labelLeft: 124, labelTop: 309} , {label: 'Manuae', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 346.5, left: 234.5, labelLeft: 244, labelTop: 338} , {label: 'Takūtea', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 362.5, left: 254.5, labelLeft: 211, labelTop: 363} , {label: 'Tongareva', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 32.5, left: 260.5, labelLeft: 205, labelTop: 31} , {label: 'Manihiki', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 80.5, left: 175.5, labelLeft: 187, labelTop: 80} , {label: 'Rakahanga', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 63.5, left: 173.5, labelLeft: 186, labelTop: 63} , {label: 'Pukapuka', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 88.5, left: 33.5, labelLeft: 45, labelTop: 88} , {label: 'Nassau', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 108.5, left: 46.5, labelLeft: 59, labelTop: 108} , {label: 'Suwarrow', stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: '', top: 162.5, left: 115.5, labelLeft: 127, labelTop: 162} ] , legend: [{label: 'Not Assessed', top: 235, stroke: '#0000a0', fill: '#ffffff', symbol: 'WR', tris: '', trif: ''}, {label: 'Present', top: 250, stroke: '#009900', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GR', tris: '', trif: ''}, {label: '? Present', top: 265, stroke: '#006600', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'GWR', tris: '#ACACAC', trif: '#ffffff'}, {label: 'Absent', top: 280, stroke: '#C00000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RR', tris: '', trif: ''}, {label: '? Absent', top: 295, stroke: '#C00000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RWR', tris: '#c0c0c0', trif: '#ffffff'}, {label: 'Intercepted', top: 312, stroke: '#990000', fill: '#CC0000', symbol: 'RDR', tris: '#000000', trif: '#000000'}, {label: 'Extirpated/Extinct', top: 331, stroke: '#006600', fill: '#00CC00', symbol: 'RGR', tris: '#660000', trif: '#CC0000'} ]

Island	Status
Rarotonga	++
Mangaia	++
Ātiu	++
Ma‘uke	++
Miti‘āro	++
Aitutaki	Present
Palmerston	Absent
Manuae	Absent
Takūtea	Absent
Tongareva	Absent
Manihiki	Absent
Rakahanga	Absent
Pukapuka	Absent
Nassau	Absent
Suwarrow	Absent

Note: S.Group - widespread, uncommon; N.Group - absent

Vouchers for:
Danaus plexippus

Cook Islands

Southern

Northern

Oceanic

Rarotonga _____ 1980 2fsP fieldspecimen+photo fieldspecimen+photo, 1980s-1990s, associated with Blood Flower, G.McCormack with ID as Danaus plexippus; reported on Dugdale List99 as Danaus plexippus;

Mangaia _____ 1980 2fs fieldspecimen fieldspecimen, 1980s-1990s, associated with Blood Flower, G.McCormack with ID as Danaus plexippus;

Ātiu _____ 1980 2fs fieldspecimen fieldspecimen, 1980s-1990s, associated with Blood Flower, G.McCormack with ID as Danaus plexippus;

Ma‘uke _____ 1980 2fsP fieldspecimen+photo fieldspecimen+photo, 1980s-1990s, associated with Blood Flower, G.McCormack with ID as Danaus plexippus;

Miti‘āro _____ 1980 2fs fieldspecimen fieldspecimen, 1980s-1990s, associated with Blood Flower, G.McCormack with ID as Danaus plexippus;

Aitutaki

Palmerston

Manuae

Takūtea

Tongareva

Manihiki

Rakahanga

Pukapuka

Nassau

Suwarrow

Identification

Local Origin and Global Range

Habitat

no data available

Threatened

no data available

Invasive/Pest Status

no data available

Biosecurity

Medicinal

no data available

Species Uses

References

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2026) Cook Islands Biodiversity & Ethnobiology Database, Version 2026.04.03 - Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at https://naturalheritage.gov.ck/cibed
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Vernacular Names

English and International Names

Pacific Names

Scientific Names and Taxonomy

Accepted Name

Synonyms

National Distribution & Vouchers

Vouchers for:
Danaus plexippus

Identification

Local Origin and Global Range

Habitat

Threatened

Invasive/Pest Status

Biosecurity

Medicinal

Species Uses

References

Citation Information

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Accepted Name

Synonyms

Vouchers for: Danaus plexippus

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Vouchers for:
Danaus plexippus