Viceroy Butterfly

butterfly · mimicry · North America

Looks like royalty. The viceroy butterfly looks nearly identical to the bright orange and black monarch butterfly, but if you look closely, viceroy wings have an extra black line across them that monarchs don't have.

Tastes terrible. Viceroy caterpillars eat willow and poplar leaves that make the adult butterfly poisonous to predators, just like monarch butterflies. This means predators learn to avoid both species because they're both toxic.

Copycat strategy. Scientists used to think the viceroy was a faker copying the monarch for protection, but they discovered the viceroy is genuinely poisonous too, so they're actually teammates warning predators together.

Lives in North America. You can find viceroy butterflies across most of North America, from Canada down to Central America, wherever willow and poplar trees grow.

Nature's warning sign. The bright orange and black colors of both viceroy and monarch butterflies act like a stop sign for birds and other predators, telling them 'don't eat me, I'm toxic.'