The monarch butterfly is a beautiful and colorful creature, but it takes a while to reach that part of its adult life.

Monarch butterflies with more white spots on their mostly orange-and-black wings are more successful at long-distance migration. Some scientists think the spots may affect airflow around their wings.

It’s hard to overlook the brilliant orange and black wings of a monarch butterfly as it moves through a garden of flowers. It ...

Monarch butterflies with more white spots on their mostly orange-and-black wings are more successful at long-distance migration. Some scientists think the spots may affect airflow around their wings.

Monarch butterflies have distinctive orange-and-black wings with small white spots. And it's those spots that recently caught the attention of a group of scientists.

Think of a monarch butterfly, and a distinctive image pops up: black-and-orange wings, with a sprinkling of white spots around the black edges.

Monarch butterflies with more white spots on their mostly orange-and-black wings are more successful at long-distance migration. Some scientists think the spots may affect airflow around their wings.

Monarch butterflies with more white spots on their mostly orange-and-black wings are more successful at long-distance migration. Some scientists think the spots may affect airflow around their wings.