monarchs

[Anne Kilmer]

Alana Edwards <mariposa at MCIONE.com>, a local butterfly enthusiast, sent
me the following request:
 
> I was wondering if in your internet surfing if you've ever come across a
> page or a person that knows about the ancestry of the Monarch:  which
> species did it evolve from?  are there fossils?  etc.  Any studies done or articles written that discuss the evolution of Danaus species?  Their movement throughout the world? 
> My project in Biogeography is on them and I'm having difficulty locating resources.  I
> borrowed a book called Milkweed Butterflies but it is VERY technical.

Any of y'all happen to have this information? I bet fossil butterflies
are rare and cryptic. Even in amber I imagine you'd lose color and
pattern. 
Thanks
Anne Kilmer
South Florida