More than beautiful: the beloved monarch butterfly is one of the world’s great migrators

The hardy travellers can fly for 3,000 miles from the north-east US and Canada to roost in their millions in MexicoMore invertebrate of the year nominationsImagine your body was the weight of a raisin, supported by just a pair of flimsy, gossamer wings. Now imagine that you had to fly for 3,000 miles, avoiding storms, highways and predators, to ensure your species continued.Could you do it? Unless you’re a monarch butterfly, fortunately you won’t have to face such a challenge.Between 24 March and 2 April, we will be profiling a shortlist of 10 of the invertebrates chosen by readers and selected by our wildlife writers from more than 2,500 nominations. The voting for our 2025 invertebrate of the year will run from midday on Wednesday 2 April until midday on Friday 4 April, and the winner will be announced on Monday 7 April. Continue reading...