{"id":2199,"date":"2016-07-10T15:01:02","date_gmt":"2016-07-10T15:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mission-monarque.org\/?p=2199"},"modified":"2019-12-06T15:37:12","modified_gmt":"2019-12-06T15:37:12","slug":"all-monarchs-ar-orange","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mission-monarch.org\/wordpress\/all-monarchs-ar-orange\/","title":{"rendered":"All monarchs are orange…"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Daphn\u00e9 Laurier Montpetit
\nCoordinator of the Mission monarch<\/em> project<\/div>\n
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\u2026 but not all orange butterflies are monarchs !<\/h3>\n

At the beginning of summer, we might be impatient to see a familiar black and orange butterfly, but we must stay vigilent. Butterfly species that are not monarchs show similar patterns and colors. Even the best observers can be fooled ! Here is how to recognize the different species.<\/p>\n

Colors that say a lot<\/h3>\n

In the wild, most preys favor dull colors that match their habitat. But with its bright orange wings, the monarch is not really good at camouflage ! Even the caterpillar is hard to miss, with its yellow, black and white stripes.<\/p>\n

With these colors, the monarch sends a very specific message : that of toxicity. The toxins contained in milkweed \u2013 the plant that monarch caterpillars eat \u2013 are accumulated in the insect\u2019s body, giving it a very bad taste. Therefore, the bright color serves as a warning to predators : \u00ab don\u2019t eat me, I taste awful ! \u00bb<\/p>\n

Lookalikes<\/h3>\n

The monarch is usually recognizable by its orange wings and black stripes. We can\u2019t relay on these sole features to identify a monarch, though, because many other species show similar ones.<\/p>\n

In Canada, the list of orange butterflies is quite long. Fritillaries, coppers, admirals and painted ladies can easily be confused with monarchs, if they are seen quickly. The swallotails, on the other hand, also have black stripes ont their wings, although they show a bright yellow color.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, the immitation champion is, without a doubt, the viceroy. This butterfly is found from central to eastern Canada, and looks almost exactly the same as the monarch. Has it evolved to look like the ladder to take advantage of it\u2019s toxicity warning ? Or has it developed the same tricks over time, being toxic itself ?<\/p>\n

Whatever the explanation behind the resemblance is, it\u2019s actually pretty easy to make the difference, when you know what to look for. First, size matters ! Whereas the monarch is one of the biggest buterflies of Canada, with its 10cm wingspan, the viceroy is no larger than 7cm. So if a \u00ab monarch \u00bb seems small, it might actually be a viceroy. Also, unlike the monarch, the viceroy has a black line running across the veins on each of its hind wings. This line is a good clue to identify the viceroy, if you can have a close look at it.<\/p>\n

A sheet<\/a> is dedicated to these orange butterflies that are not monarchs, on the website. The identification sheets will help you get to know canadian butterflies a little better, and make sure you report actual monarchs in your missions. Oh and, while you\u2019re at it, why not submit you butterfly sightings on eButterfly ?<\/p>\n

Enjoy the mission!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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More articles<\/h4>\n

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