Opening the field guide
Danaus plexippus
An orange-and-black milkweed butterfly whose populations make extraordinary seasonal journeys.
Orange wings crossed by black veins and bordered in black with white spots
Black body with white spotting
Male usually has a dark scent patch on each hindwing
Open fields, gardens, roadsides, coastal sites, and other flower-rich places where milkweed and nectar plants occur.
Adults nectar at flowers; females search for milkweed for egg-laying. Migratory timing and direction vary by population and season.
Viceroys have a black line across each hindwing. Queen butterflies are darker and carry more white spots across the forewing.
Photograph without handling when possible. Do not publish exact locations of vulnerable overwintering clusters.
Avoid pesticides around milkweed and nectar plants. Follow local rules before collecting or rearing any butterflies.
Monarch abundance varies across regions and years; habitat loss, pesticide exposure, drought, and climate change are important pressures.
Sources are linked below. Field marks vary with age, sex, season, region, light, and viewing distance.
Limenitis archippus
A smaller monarch mimic, separated instantly by the black line that crosses each hindwing.
Open field guide
Bombus spp.
A round, thoroughly furry bee whose hairy abdomen separates it from the shiny-backed carpenter bee.
Open field guide
Xylocopa virginica
A bumble-bee-sized bee with a bare, glossy black abdomen that tunnels its nest into wood.
Open field guide