Queen butterfly
The queen is one of the species that uses milkweed as a host for the larva. I understand this makes the caterpillars and butterflies taste bad to birds and other predators, a handy defense. The underside of the wings are similar to the Monarch butterfly, but the upperside is more plain brown and the butterfly is quite a bit smaller than a monarch. This one gave me a view of both sides of the wings as it perched on a butterfly milkweed that was blooming in the yard.
Montell, Uvalde County, Texas during November 2020
Queen butterfly
The queen is one of the species that uses milkweed as a host for the larva. I understand this makes the caterpillars and butterflies taste bad to birds and other predators, a handy defense. The underside of the wings are similar to the Monarch butterfly, but the upperside is more plain brown and the butterfly is quite a bit smaller than a monarch. This one gave me a view of both sides of the wings as it perched on a butterfly milkweed that was blooming in the yard.
Montell, Uvalde County, Texas during November 2020