Viceroy butterfly
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| iViceroy butterfly | ||||||||||||||||
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 A viceroy, mimic of the monarch
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| Limenitis archippus Cramer, 1775 |
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. Its wings feature an orange and black pattern, giving it the resemblance of a small Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus). In Florida, Georgia, and the Southwest, Monarch are less common, and Viceroys share the pattern of the Queen butterfly (Danaus gilippus) or the Soldier butterfly (Danaus e.) . It was long believed that the Viceroy is a Batesian mimic of the three other species, or that is was only mildly unpalatable to predators.
The caterpillar lives in trees in the willow family Salicaceae, including willows (Salix), and poplars and cottonwoods (Populus). The caterpillars collect the salicylic acid, which makes them bitter, and upset the stomachs of predators. To make them even more protected, the caterpillars, as well as their chrysalis stage, resemble bird droppings.
[edit] References
- Vicroy, Butterflies of North Carolina
- Description of Viceroy on Butterflies and Moths website
- A Bitter Plant Becomes a Bitter Butterfly
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