Names and Taxonomy
- Common Names:
- Synonyms:
- Order: Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Family: Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
- Genus Information: 1 species in NV, 3 in CA, 5 in US
Danaus gilippus
Queen Butterfly
Introduction:
It is orange or brown with black wing borders and small white forewing spots on its dorsal wing surface, and reddish ventral wing surface fairly similar to the dorsal surface. The ventral hindwings have black veins and small white spots in a black border. The male has a black androconial scent patch on its dorsal hindwings. The queen is one of many insects that derives chemical defenses against its predators from its food plant. Most of the toxic cardenolides that make queens so unpalatable to its predators are sequestered from larval host plants.
Life Cycle: Females lay one egg at a time on larval host plants. Larvae use these plants as a food source, whereas adult butterflies feed mainly on nectar from flowers.
Size 3-3,5 inch (80-85 mm)
Sexual Dimorphism: true
Metamorphosis: complete (egg, larva,pupa, adult)
