Last updated: August 8, 2023
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Joshua Tree National Park Exhibit: Butterflies
Joshua Tree is home to approximately 90 species of butterfly. Butterfly populations are heavily influenced by season, climate, and a species’ dependence on certain plants. During dry years there are fewer butterflies; but in years with abundant winter rainfall, butterflies and wildflowers provide an explosion of springtime color.
Many butterfly species migrate very long distances. Monarchs, Danaus plexippus, and Painted Lady, Vanessa cardui, are the best known, but others like the Cloudless Sulphur, Phoebis sennae also migrate north each year.
Butterflies surveys contribute to understanding climate change's impact on the desert ecosystem. Some species have become more common, and others more rare. Wildfires, changes in the desert plant communities, and climate change continue to impact which butterfly species are present in the park.
