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Disclaimer: This material is being kept online for historical purposes. Content is no longer being updated and may contain broken links. |
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Disclaimer: This material is being kept online for historical purposes. Content is no longer being updated and may contain broken links. |
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Santa Barbara Field Guides - Butterflies Lepidoptera Nymphalidae Danaus gilippus Queen |
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Size:
wingspread 2.75-3.5 in. Recognition: Upperside orange/brown with black and white speckled border, and the FWs have scattered white spots; underside of HW with darkened veins. Flight period: Adults active from April to November; more likely to be seen here in later part of season. Hostplants: Like the Monarch, the larvae of the Queen feed only on milkweeds (Asclepias and relatives). Habitat: Open areas, foothills, and arid desert settings are the most frequent habitats of the Queen. Distribution: The Queen is a subtropical species, occurring only in the southernmost U.S. In southern California, they are relatively common in foothill and arid regions of San Diego, Imperial and Riverside counties; in the fall, occasional strays may be seen along the coast from Santa Barbara south to San Diego. Other: Queens and Monarchs are known as the "milkweed butterflies" and both larvae and adults carry toxins from these plants in their bodies, making them distasteful to predators. The Viceroy is a well-known Monarch mimic, profiting from predators learning to avoid its coloration. However, it is less well-known that populations of the Viceroy in the southwestern U.S. mimic the Queen instead. 
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