Do you know this butterfly?

11 years ago

My garden was full of butterflies this afternoon. I guess I'm the best nectar source around. Some were small some were big like the giant tiger swallow tail. But this one looks like a Monach underneath, complete with body. do you recognize it?

Comments (7)

Vulture61
11 years ago
Gulf Frittilary (Agraulis vanillae)?

Here is a link that might be useful: Agraulis v.
phoenix7801
11 years ago
Nope it's a Queen. They feed on milkweeds though like Monarchs
Related Professionals
Biloxi Landscape Contractors · Camp Verde Landscape Contractors · Chattanooga Landscape Contractors · Deer Park Landscape Contractors · La Mirada Landscape Contractors · Mercedes Landscape Contractors · Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape Contractors · Spring Landscape Contractors · York Landscape Contractors · Antioch Landscape Contractors · Agoura Hills Stone, Pavers & Concrete · St. Louis Window Contractors · Central Islip Window Contractors · Clarksburg Window Contractors · Palm River-Clair Mel Window Contractors
debndal
11 years ago
Yes, it's definitely a Queen. I get them on my milkweed some years. The cats look almost exactly like Monarchs except they have an extra set of "horns" near the middle of their bodies. Chrylasis look very much alike too. Easy to confuse them.
Vulture61
11 years ago
Interesting! It's a Danaus gilippus, then. According the information I found on the net, they do not migrate. I wonder if the caterpillars I have on my milkweeds are queens and not monarchs...

Here is a link that might be useful: Queen butterfly
cynthianovak
Original Author
11 years ago
My response did not go through. It is a Queen and I found her on milkweed. the photo was taken on fennel in flower.

They are suddenly everywhere. I assume the heat and the fact that I have loads of flowers made my garden the place to lay eggs and to stay as long as possible.

I do not remember seeing them before. Maybe a few but not like this.
roselee z8b S.W. Texas
11 years ago
I happened to come across this blog post about how to tell Queens and Monarchs apart.

Here is a link that might be useful: Queen, Monarch Caterpillars and Butterflies: How to tell the difference ...
linda_tx8
11 years ago
Queens DO migrate, it's just much less distance involved. I usually see Queens, mainly traveling northward in Spring to late summer. Then periodically I see them in summer. In fall they are pretty much headed south. For some reason I didn't see their eggs or caterpillars on the milkweed this year. And mainly just saw male Queen butterflies. Not sure why that was. I did have the Monarch caterpillars in spring this year, but even though I saw the Monarchs in my garden this fall, no eggs or caterpillars were spotted. I must say that this year was unusual, because I even saw a few Monarchs in early December! I saw a Queen this morning, also unusual to see one this late. Lots of butterflies left, mainly snouts, American Ladies, sulfurs and skippers. And there's at least one Red Admiral and a few Common Mestras (a fairly tropical butterfly seldom seen here). Unfortunately, freezing weather is coming! Monday night it's forecast to get to 25 degrees here in my Hill Country area.