Where’s Wildlife · Butterfly Field Guide
Limenitis archippus
Pronounced (approx.): lih-men-EE-tis ar-KIP-us
An orange-and-black butterfly with a useful field mark: a black line crossing each hindwing.
Select the photograph to browse all five field photographs.
NATIVE TO NORTH AMERICA
Hindwing line: Look for the curved black line crossing the hindwing. A Monarch lacks this line. [1]
Wing pattern: Orange panels are crossed by black veins, with a single row of white spots in the dark outer border. [1]
Caterpillar: Its camouflaged shape and coloring can resemble a twig or bird dropping. [2]
Compare the wing markings and resting poses in these field photographs. Select any image to browse the full gallery.
Females place eggs singly near leaf tips. Caterpillars feed on willow-family trees, including Salix (willows) and Populus (poplars and cottonwoods). [2]
Partly grown caterpillars can spend winter in a rolled-leaf shelter secured with silk. They resume feeding in spring before becoming chrysalises and then adults. Much of the range has two or three generations annually. [2]
Monarch and Viceroy comparison. Select to enlarge the labels.
Check the hindwing line first when comparing these orange-and-black butterflies. Use the photograph graphic to locate it. [1]
More than a harmless mimic: Viceroys can be unpalatable to birds too. Their resemblance to Monarchs is commonly described as Müllerian mimicry: both species contribute to a shared warning pattern. [2]
Explore documented Viceroy sightings. Observation records reflect where people have reported butterflies and are not a complete range map.
[1] Butterflies and Moths of North America — Viceroy
Wing markings, identification, and species information.
[2] UF/IFAS Extension — Viceroy
Andrei Sourakov’s account of host plants, feeding, life history, and mimicry.
Explore Viceroy downloads featuring Where’s Wildlife photographs.
