Danaus gilippus
queen butterfly

The Queen can be found ranging from Brazil to Florida and the Gulf Coast. It is also prevalent in the states of California, Texas, Arizona, and southern New Mexico. (Douglas, 1986; Ehrlich and Ehrlich, 1961; Holland, 1907)

Open, sunny areas, including fields, deserts, roadsides, pastures, dunes, washes, and waterways. Queens are known to migrate like the Monarch, but to a lesser extent. The stay mainly in warm climates year round. (Struttman 2000)

The Queen resembles its close relative the Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) in various ways, but is smaller and the ground color of the wings is a darker brown. The forewings are long, greatly produced at the apex, and have a triangular outline. The hindwings are well rounded and smaller than the forewing. Black veins with white borders appear on the entire length of the hindwing while the forewing is not bordered with black on its inner margin like the Monarch. The light spots on the apex of the forewings are whiter and patterned differently than those of the Monarch as well. While male Monarchs are often the larger sex, in Queens, the female is larger. A Queen's wingspan averages 3 inches. Generally, this genus of butterflies (Danaus) has eggs which are ovate conical, broadly flattened at the base and slightly truncated at the top, with many longitudinal ribs and transverse cross-ridges. In the caterpillar stage, they have a small head and large, cylindrical, hairless body with dark stripes. The chrysalis is short, thick, rounded, tapers very quickly over the posterior of the abdomen, and is suspended by a long cremaster from a button of silk. It is frequently ornamented with golden spots. Member of this family have antennae that are unscaled. (Ehrlich and Ehrlich, 1961; Holland, 1907; Pyle, 1999)

The Queen is known for its definite courtship display which must be rigidly followed by both sexes. The male chases the female and overtakes her from above. He brushes her antennae with his abdominal hairpencils, which disseminate scent, and induces the female to alight. The male continues to hover over the female, hairpencils still active, until the female becomes submissive. He alights alongside the female and copulation takes place. Post-nuptial flights occur with the male pulling the female backwards through the air. Laboratory experiments have shown that males from which the hairpencils have been removed, and females whose antennae have been made none receptive, are unacceptable, unable, or unwilling to mate. Male butterflies of this genus are known to get their sex schents from plants such as heliotrope (Heliotropium) and eupatorium (Eupatorium) which contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids. (New, 1991; Parenti, 1977; Pyle, 1999)

The Queen larvae feed mostly on varieties of mildweed (Asclepias), and the members of this family are therefore called the "milkweed butterflies". They feed on Asclepias, Nerium, Funastum, Vincetoxicum, Philibertia, and Stapelia, which are all milkweeds. They are also known to feed off of the nightshade families (Solanaceae) and like the nectar plants Blue Mist, fogfruit, and shepherd's needle.

In times when nectar-bearing flowers are scarce, and competition is fierce, Queen butterflies have been seen probing the bases of grass inflorescences in Texas, but what they gain from this is yet to be discovered. (Douglas, 1986; Ehrlich and Ehrlich, 1961; Holland, 1907)

This species is not known to adversely affect humans.

This species has no known benefits for humans besides being aesthetically pleasing.

The Nature Conservancy Global Rank: G5- Demonstrably secure globally, though they may be quite rare in parts of their range, especially at the periphery. (Struttman 2000)

All of the Danaidae are "protected" insects, having acrid secretions which make them distasteful to birds and predaceous insects. These secretions are probably due to the character of the plants on which the caterpillars feed, which are rank or even poisonous to higher animals. Other species have taken advantage of the unpalatability of the Queen and have evolved a color pattern which mimics them. One of these mimics is the Viceroy (Limenitis archippus), who uses the distasteful looks of the Queen to ward off predators who have eaten the Queens. Research has found, however, that the Viceroy is distasteful as well, but uses the same patterns so that it is easier for birds to identify it. (Douglas, 1986; Holland, 1907; Pyle, 1999)