Viceroy
FamilyNymphalidae
Scientific NameLimenitis archippus
RangeNorth America
HabitatWetlands, fields
About the Viceroy
Long thought to be a harmless mimic of the toxic Monarch, but research in 1991 showed they are equally unpalatable — it is actually Mullerian mimicry where both species benefit from looking alike. The easiest way to tell them apart: Viceroys have a black line across their hindwing that Monarchs lack. Their caterpillars feed on willow and poplar, not milkweed. Named viceroy because they resemble the monarch.
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