This hue is inspired by the brilliant orange wings of the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), edged in black and dotted with white. The color comes from ommochrome pigments, mainly xanthommatin, synthesized in the butterfly’s wing scales. While caterpillars absorb toxic compounds from milkweed to deter predators, the adult’s fiery orange is its own biochemical signal, warning of danger even as it dazzles the eye. Beyond survival, the monarch’s iconic shade has come to symbolize transformation and endurance, carried on migrations spanning thousands of miles across North America.