Next
Andrew Trundlewagon

Andrew Trundlewagon club

Posted: 28 Jul 2013

Taken: 27 Jul 2013

3 favorites     1 comment    437 visits

See also...

LITTLE BEASTS IN MACRO LITTLE BEASTS IN MACRO

M A C R O W O R L D M A C R O W O R L D

Macro Macro

Insect Macros Insect Macros

Keywords

macro •
orange •
butterfly •
closeup •
Viceroy •
Limenitis archippus •
quebec •
brossard •

Authorizations, license

Visible by: Everyone
All rights reserved
437 visits

viceroy-DSC 5180

viceroy-DSC 5180
The bright orange viceroy butterfly (Limenitis archippus) resembles the larger Monarch butterfly. The caterpillars of the viceroy feed on plants in the willow family and accumulate salicylic acid (similar to aspirin). This makes them bitter and unpalatable to predators. Their similarity with the equally orange and black Monarch butterfly, which is also poisonous is an example of Müllerian mimicry which (from Wikipedia) “is a natural phenomenon in which two or more poisonous species, that may or may not be closely related and share one or more common predators, have come to mimic each other's warning signals”.
Fortunately, I am not planning to eat butterflies so I can just enjoy their beauty.

, , have particularly liked this photo

Comments
 Janet Brien
Janet Brien club
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, soooooooooooooooooooooo beautiful!!!! So cool to read about the similarity to Monarchs and how very unpalatable they are! If I get a headache though...WATCH OUT VICEROY! :D
11 years ago.

Sign-in to write a comment.