Danaus plexippus
- Reproduction for this species occurs in the spring
- A monarch butterfly matures when a part of their brain lets their internal pair of glands know to release their juvenile hormones.
- When females release juvenile hormones: Eggs mature
- When males release juvenile hormones: Male reproductive system grows and develops
- Monarch butterflies begin to reproduce after about only four days after they mature
- Reproduction not as dependent on the chemical pheromones as other species in this phylum are such as the Homarus americanus
- To begin reproduction, male monarch butterflies find and take down the female they want to sexual reproduction with and they stay stuck to each other from anywhere for a half-hour to an hour, however if a female doesn't want to mate with a male it has proven they have ways, that are unknown to scientists, to avoid doing so.
- The egg is fertilized within the female monarch butterfly when sperm released from spermatheca and egg released from ovaries, and while the specific location is unknown scientists know that the egg is fertilized at some point in this time
- Then females then have their offspring undergo metamorphesis by placing their eggs into the leaves of milkweed plants.
- After about three to four days, caterpillars hatch out of the eggs and begin to grow by feeding on food that is found throughout the habitat such as the milkweed on the plants where they will eventually rest in a pupa and become a full-grown monarch butterfly
Male Reproductive System
Accessory Glands: Makes chemicals to ease the process of sperm transfer through the reproductive system
Aedeagus: Penis of monarch butterfly and final destination for sperm in male reproductive system, where it will take sperm from the male reproductive system to the bursa copulatrix of the female, where it will get broken apart so nutrients can be released out of it.
Ejaculatory Duct: Takes sperm from vas deferens and accessory glands to aedeagus, which a scientific term used to describe an insect's penis
Testes: Despite this diagram only showing one, there are actually two testes in a monarch butterflies, which, like humans, are responsible for making sperm to fertilize the eggs of the female
Vas Deferens: Connecting agent for sperm from testes to ejaculatory duct
Sperm Production: One cell undergoes six mitotic divisions and two meiotic divisions within testes of male reproductive system, creating 256 sperm cells that stay grouped together until they are released during sexual reproduction
Accessory Glands: Makes chemicals to ease the process of sperm transfer through the reproductive system
Aedeagus: Penis of monarch butterfly and final destination for sperm in male reproductive system, where it will take sperm from the male reproductive system to the bursa copulatrix of the female, where it will get broken apart so nutrients can be released out of it.
Ejaculatory Duct: Takes sperm from vas deferens and accessory glands to aedeagus, which a scientific term used to describe an insect's penis
Testes: Despite this diagram only showing one, there are actually two testes in a monarch butterflies, which, like humans, are responsible for making sperm to fertilize the eggs of the female
Vas Deferens: Connecting agent for sperm from testes to ejaculatory duct
Sperm Production: One cell undergoes six mitotic divisions and two meiotic divisions within testes of male reproductive system, creating 256 sperm cells that stay grouped together until they are released during sexual reproduction
Female Reproductive System
Accessory Glands: Same function in female reproductive system that it had in the male reproductive system
Bursa Copulatrix: First place sperm goes to within female reproductive system where they are broken apart so nutrients that can benefit the female can be extracted from it
Common Oviduct: Tube that ovaries connect to
Ostium Bursa: Opening of female reproductive system where aedeagus puts the sperm
Ovaries: Site of egg production
Ovarioles: Four tubes that are found within female ovaries
Spermatheca: Storage site for sperm
Sperm Duct: Similar to a male's vas defernens this is a tube that connects the bursa corpatrix and common oviduct that sperm moves through to reach the spermatheca
Sperm Sac: Sac used to protect the sperm
Vulva: An opening in the female reproductive system where the females lay their eggs
Egg Production: Eggs produced from germ cells where vitamins, lipids, etc are added to them.
Accessory Glands: Same function in female reproductive system that it had in the male reproductive system
Bursa Copulatrix: First place sperm goes to within female reproductive system where they are broken apart so nutrients that can benefit the female can be extracted from it
Common Oviduct: Tube that ovaries connect to
Ostium Bursa: Opening of female reproductive system where aedeagus puts the sperm
Ovaries: Site of egg production
Ovarioles: Four tubes that are found within female ovaries
Spermatheca: Storage site for sperm
Sperm Duct: Similar to a male's vas defernens this is a tube that connects the bursa corpatrix and common oviduct that sperm moves through to reach the spermatheca
Sperm Sac: Sac used to protect the sperm
Vulva: An opening in the female reproductive system where the females lay their eggs
Egg Production: Eggs produced from germ cells where vitamins, lipids, etc are added to them.