Viceroy - archippus

Viceroy Butterfly - Limenitis archippus Superfamily: Papilionidae (The true ) / Family: (Brushfoot butterflies) / Subfamily: Limenitidinae Live viceroy and monarch butterflies photographed at DuPage County, Illinois. Cirrus Home | Butterflies Main | Moths | Moths TOC | Skippers | Butterflies TOC

Mated pair of viceroy butterflies, female on the left

Male viceroys perch on vegetation and patrol a territory waiting for females. Copulation is accomplished tail-to-tail, with the much larger female "towing" the male around. I've seen viceroys flying in tandem with the female towing the male in a very rapid, straight-line flight across my field of view, a distance of many dozens of yards - they fly very well, connected.

Limenitis, the genus name, comes from the Latin for "marsh", but I often find viceroys in tall grass or weedy fields some distance from any water or swampy areas.

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The resemblance of the viceroy to the monarch is not the result of a close genetic relationship. They come from different subfamilies and have different habits (the monarch famously migrates, the viceroy not so much). [1].

It is frequently noted that the Viceroy (a non-toxic butterfly) mimics the aposematic coloring of the supposedly toxic Monarch butterfly. However, recent research suggests this so-called Batesian may not be as simple as first thought; CLICK HERE to read an article detailing recent scientific thinking on the Viceroy - Monarch puzzle.

Viceroy caterpillars feed on trees and shrubs in the family , the (Salix), cottonwoods (), and aspens. Salicylic acid (so named from the salix), a precursor to acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin), is thus concentrated in their bodies, providing an extremely bitter meal for any would-be predator. Viceroy larvae are well-camouflaged as bird droppings, as are many moth caterpillars as well as adult moths [2].

Female Viceroy Butterfly

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http://www.cirrusimage.com/butterfly_viceroy.htm[3/28/2011 2:42:37 PM] Viceroy Butterfly - Limenitis archippus

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References

1. ISCID Encyclopedia of Science and Philosophy, "Monarch - Viceroy Puzzle"

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