monarch butterfly, make that "was the food they fed on'' for, thanks to rampant land development in Bermuda, its exclusive food source -- the milkweed plant -- has all but disappeared.

As a result, this colourful insect is now an endangered species, and that is something both the Bermuda Zoological Society and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Parks want to change with the help of the public.

"The problem is that, whereas for other butterflies if one food source fails they can find another, the monarch is absolutely dependent on the milkweed plant,'' explained Mrs. Mary Lodge, a science resource teacher who assists the Bermuda Zoological Society. "It used to grow in the wild pasture lands of Bermuda, but since they were cleared for building the plant has been lost, so we now need people to plant milkweed consistently in order to save the monarch.'' In the United States, the monarch is one of the most widespread and best known of butterflies. It thrives on warm weather, but cannot survive cold winters so when autumn comes, it migrates thousands of miles to "wintering'' sites in Mexico and California. It travels up to 80 miles a day at an average speed of seven miles per hour. In fact, its long migrations, some up to 2,500 miles or more, make the monarch unique in the world of butterflies.

Contrary to what some believe, butterflies do not live for just a day. The monarch can live for up to nine months -- an unusually long life span.

Bermuda's monarch is particularly unusual. Because of the Island's mild climate, it has no need to migrate, and also breeds year-round.

The life-cycle pattern of this butterfly begins with the female laying eggs on the milkweed plant, generally one per leaf, carefully gluing each to its underside for protection. After four days, the embryos hatch as caterpillars (larvae) and begin feeding non-stop on milkweed leaves. As the caterpillar continues to grow, it moults -- four times in three weeks. After each moult, it becomes bigger and its black and yellow stripes more vivid.

When the caterpillar measures two inches long (and weighs 2,700 times its birth weight) it is ready to become a butterfly. At this point it leaves the milkweed plant and prepares its chrysalis by spinning a jade green pad of silken threads, and attaching itself to the protected underside of a leaf or branch. There it will hang for a further two weeks, after which the new butterfly splits the chrysalis and emerges a very crumpled sight.

Soon, the new monarch butterfly spreads its impressive orange and black wings and two hours after hatching, when the wings are hard and dry, it flies off.

The male can be identified by a black scent pocket on the third vein of its hind wing.

Thanks to an exclusive diet of milkweed in the caterpillar stage -- a plant which contains natural poisons -- adult monarchs are not a food source to birds, but with its food supply drastically reduced, unless individuals take up the cause and plant milkweed it will become extinct.

Two species of milkweed grow in Bermuda: Asclepias curassavica, which has beautiful red and orange flowers and grows to a height of three feet; and Asclepias physocarpa, which has white flowers, tennis-ball like seed pods, and can grow to six feet. Both species grow easily from seed, and can be planted any time throughout the year. Gardeners should note that milkweed sap is poisonous, so the hands should be washed if sap gets on them.

Mr. Kevin Monkman, plant protection officer at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Parks, recommends planting milkweed seeds initially in little six-cell packs -- one seed per cell -- available from nurseries and garden supply stores, and then transplanting them to a garden area when the seedlings are six to eight inches tall.

"When planting them in a garden, space the seedlings nine to twelve inches apart, but clump them together in an area,'' he advised.

Both Mr. Monkman and the Zoological Society advocate letting the butterflies progress through all four stages of development in their natural outdoor habitat, rather than raising them from the caterpillar stage in jars and cages, as children often prefer.

In addition to planting milkweed as a food source for monarch butterfly caterpillars, the dietary needs of the adults must also be met. They live on the nectar of certain flowers. To help them, plant pentas (a perennial which flowers year-round in pink, white or red); lantana, commonly known as sage bush (a perennial with yellow, purple, or orange flowers, which blooms year-round); and clerodendron (another year-rounder sporting orange, red/lilac or red flowers).

Other appropriate flowers are alyssum, daisy, zinnia, marigold, nasturtium, dandelion and seaside golden rod.

Apart from filling the home garden with beautiful monarch butterflies, milkweed will also attract buckeye and cabbage butterflies. The buckeye, probably the most common species in Bermuda, has a brown colour overall with blue and red markings, while the cabbage butterfly is small and white, and most abundant in the spring and summer.

To obtain free milkweed seeds, contact the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Parks. Other recommended seeds and plants can be obtained from local nurseries and garden supply outlets.

MILKWEED MAGIC -- The dainty red and yellow milkweed blossom is vital to the survival of the monarch butterfly. It is the only food it eats in the caterpillar stage, and traditional supplies have been decimated by rampant land development.

ROYAL VISITOR -- A monarch butterfly explores a brightly-coloured hibiscus blossom.