Everything about The Viceroy Butterfly totally explained
The
Viceroy Butterfly (
Limenitis archippus) is a North American
butterfly with a range from the
Northwest Territories along the eastern edges of the
Cascade Range and
Sierra Nevada mountains, southwards into central
Mexico.
Its wings feature an orange and black pattern, and over most of its range it's a
Müllerian mimic with the
Monarch Butterfly (
Danaus plexippus). In
Florida,
Georgia, and the
Southwest, Viceroys share the pattern of the
Queen Butterfly (
Danaus gilippus) and in Mexico they share the pattern of the
Soldier Butterfly (
Danaus eresimus). In all three areas, the Viceroy populations mimic the coloration of the local
Danaus species. It was originally believed that the Viceroy was a Batesian
mimic of the three other species, in that it was presumably edible or only mildly unpalatable to predators, but this has since proven not to be true.
The
caterpillar feeds on trees in the willow family
Salicaceae, including
willows (
Salix), and poplars and cottonwoods (
Populus). The caterpillars sequester the
salicylic acid in their bodies, which makes them bitter, and upsets predators' stomachs. As further protection, the caterpillars, as well as their
chrysalis stage, resemble bird droppings. Adults are strictly
diurnal, they fly preferentially in the late morning and early afternoon.
The Viceroy is the state butterfly of
Kentucky.
Further Information
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