Outdoor Ontario

Photography => Nature => Topic started by: AcemanDanny on September 08, 2013, 09:40:58 PM

Title: Monarch ID?
Post by: AcemanDanny on September 08, 2013, 09:40:58 PM

My first butterfly pic that I actually love. Is it a monarch or something similar. Any help would be appreciated.

Title: Re: Monarch ID?
Post by: Paul O'Toole on September 09, 2013, 06:25:02 AM

Its a beautiful Monarch, a similar species called a Viceroy would have a different back vein type pattern near the bottom portion of the wings. See my image from a few years ago to compare.

Top: Monarch - Milkweed Butterfly
Bottom: Viceroy - Brushfoots family of butterflies
The term mimicry is commonly applied to the resemblance of one insect (called the mimic) to another (called the model) so that a third insect or other observer is deceived into confusing the two.The Viceroy Butterfly belongs to an entirely different family of butterflies but resembles the Monarch so closely in color, shape and markings that it serves as a classical example of mimicry in nature. Both species are distasteful to predators.

(http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2473/3911233220_d3272f4708_z.jpg)

Title: Re: Monarch ID?
Post by: AcemanDanny on September 09, 2013, 08:42:10 PM

Thanks Paul, now I know what to look for.

Title: Re: Monarch ID?
Post by: Raven11:11 on September 16, 2013, 08:58:31 PM

I saw all of 1 all summer. no kidding. At Lawrence & Bayview 5 weeks ago. He was flying SE, in traffic. I live near Humber Arb , near the  Racetrack though and we always had tons ....