Hobbies And Interests
Range
Around 5,000 species of butterfly belong to the Nymphalidae (brush-footed) family. This family includes the Viceroy, which originates from North America; its range is from the Northwest along the eastern side of the Cascade Range and Sierra Nevada mountains, southward into central Mexico.
Features
A Viceroy butterfly has an average wing span of 2 1/2 to 3 3/8 inches. Its wings are normally patterned in orange and black, giving it a similar look to the Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus). Unlike the Monarch, however, the Viceroy has a black line across its hindwing and white spots within the black marginal strip. In certain areas of the U.S. including Florida and Georgia, the Viceroy's coloring is more brown than orange, resembling the Queen butterfly (Danaus gilippus); in Mexico it is like that of the Soldier butterfly (Danaus eresimus), similar to the Queen but with darker veins.
Habitat
The Viceroy butterfly favors spacious areas near bodies of water, such as streams or lakes, and moist, shrubby areas like valley bottoms and damp meadows. Part of the appeal of these wet areas is the trees that grow there. They may also be found in more suburban wet areas, such as lake edges.
Life Cycle
The Viceroy butterfly's natural habitat features willow thickets: trees in the willow family such as willows, poplars and cottonwoods that are home to caterpillars. These trees are central to the life cycle of the butterfly. The Viceroy caterpillar eats the leaves of willow and poplar trees. The male caterpillar trawls the willows to find the female, who lays her eggs at the ends of the leaves.
Threats to Habitat
Efforts are underway to manage existing Viceroy butterflies. The Obsolete Viceroy (subspecies obsoleta) has suffered from human development, which has taken over much of its natural meadow, marsh and swamp habitat. Viceroys have also fallen victim to the saltcedar, an invasive plant species known to disrupt many wildlife habitats. In global terms, the Viceroy butterfly is considered to be a secure species, despite being quite rare in certain parts of its range.