This one just started to fly away!(New Zealand June 2009)
The Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is a milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae), in the family Nymphalidae. It is perhaps the best known of all North American butterflies. Since the 19th century, it has been found in New Zealand, and in Australia since 1871 where it is called the Wanderer.[3][4][5] It is resident in the Canary Islands, the Azores, and Madeira, and is found as an occasional migrant in Western Europe and a rare migrant in the United Kingdom.[6]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarch_(butterfly)
scrapydo 
Beautiful. I get to see these butterflies sometimes on the other side of the world.
They lay their eggs on a certain plant(can’t remember name} Caterpillars eat these plants till nothing is left before they turn into pupae and later come out as these butterflies.In my son’s garden they had these plants, that’s why I could see their life cycle
Nice shot. I used to see these all the time when I lived in California.
Thanks It is interesting seeing them coming out and stretch their wet wings and wait till they are dry and then fly away