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Danaus plexippus
The Monarch Butterfly is an easily recognizable butterfly with its black and orange pattern. The colors also serve as a warning to predators. This butterfly is not only bad tasting, it is poisonous.
Butterfly loves and caterpillar feeds on scarlet milkweed.
Shown with a milkweed plant.
Spotted on Nov 9, 2010
Submitted on Jun 19, 2011
12 Comments
I am thankful to you for your patience and happy as I learned something..assured..and neat observation.. :)
Not much...Birds get fainted.. and bad taste..so birds mostly avoid hunting them..!!
Happy to have this straightened out. The pictures that Ashish directed me to of the Viceroy caterpillar (same page as the butterfly) showed something that would I would have assumed it to be poisonous.
I was wrong...I crosschecked images you are right.... its Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
Referred White line on its neck which is missing in Viceroy.... I learned lot... Monarch is not Common tiger.
This is Monarch Male..!!
I'm pretty sure this is a Monarch. Viceroys have a curves line on their hindwings. Here is what a Viceroy looks like: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/645...
A good website for buttefly ID is www.butterfliesandmoths.org .
The caterpillar is of Common Tiger/Monarch.
But butterfly is Viceroy...as design of Wing's tips seen...!!
Confirm with any Noah ranger...!!
I can see what you mean about it not being a Common Tiger. Happily enough, a new set a caterpillars have invaded. I have added a picture. These are the caterpillars that are in this region. I have never seen those listed for the viceroy.
The black tips of your butterfly not matching with following butterfly
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danaus_genu...
Its Viceroy...!!
Check follwing site
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subject...
This is Viceroy
After looking at your suggested link, I have added another picture that I hope will help clarify. I do not see the post median black lines on the hind wing that a Viceroy would have. Also, the caterpillars and pupa in this area are the Monarch type. I have never seen either for the Viceroy type in this area.
Its Viceroy butterfly...check tips...not Tiger or Monarch..!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viceroy_but...