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Species Limenitis archippus - Viceroy
Classification Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Papilionoidea (Butterflies (excluding skippers))
Family Nymphalidae (Brushfooted Butterflies)
Subfamily Limenitidinae (Admirals, Sisters)
Genus Limenitis (Admirals, Viceroy)
Species archippus (Viceroy)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes Basilarchia archippus
14 synonyms listed at All-LepsNumbers 5 subspecies in North America listed at All-Leps
1 subspecies (L. a. archippus) in Canada Size wingspan 63-86 mm ( nearctica.com); 53-81 mm ( CBIF) Identification Adult: subspecies L. a. archippus has orange wings and resembles the Monarch ( Danaus plexippus) but is smaller and has a black line across the upper surface of the hindwing. See here: 
subspecies L. a. floridensis has darker (brownish) wings and resembles the Queen ( Danaus gilippus) but has a black line across the upper surface of the hindwing. See 
and is much larger than L. a. archippus
in subspecies L. a. obsoleta, the black line on the hindwing is edged basally with white spots on upper and lower surfaces (see photos)
subspecies L. a. hoffmanni - which is restricted to Mexico - lacks a black line on the hindwing, and resembles the Soldier (Danaus eresimus)
Larva: body hump-backed, olive green or brown with pinkish-white saddle and two short dark spiny horns on second thoracic segment; conspicuous "ankle bracelets" of pale spines above each proleg; dorsal spine clusters atop bumps on thorax and abdomen Range Northwest Territories south along the eastern edges of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountains to central Mexico, and throughout eastern North America except Newfoundland.
1. ssp. archippus [Eastern Viceroy]: the only subspecies in Canada, occurs south in the east to central Georgia
2. ssp. floridensis [Florida Viceroy]: Florida and southern Georgia
3. ssp. lahontani [Nevada Viceroy]: type specimen collected in Fernley, Lyon County, Nevada
4. ssp. obsoleta [Arizona Viceroy]: type specimen collected in southern Arizona
5. ssp. watsoni [Watson's Gulf Coast Viceroy]: type specimen collected in Alexandria, Louisiana Habitat Moist open or shrubby areas such as lake and swamp edges, wet meadows, willow thickets, and roadsides. Season adults fly from May to October, or all year in Florida Food Larvae feed mainly on leaves of willow (Salix) and poplar and cottonwood (Populus); other hosts include apple (Malus) and cherry (Prunus)
Adults feed on aphid honeydew, carrion, dung, decaying fruit and fungi, and also take nectar from flowers of herbaceous plants, especially composites. Life Cycle two or three generations per year; overwinters as a larva on the ground within a rolled leaf fastened with silk; larvae become active again in spring, feeding for two to four weeks, then pupating Remarks Adults of the various subspecies mimic the distasteful Monarch, Queen, and Soldier butterflies; by imitating a butterfly that repels predators, the Viceroy is less likely to be attacked. See Also adults of the Monarch, Queen, and Soldier all lack a black line across the upper surface of the hindwing
larvae of Red-spotted Purple ( L. arthemis astyanax) have two rounded dorsal bumps on second abdominal segment that lack spines (see photos 1, 2) Internet References adult comparison photos of subspecies archippus and floridensis (James Adams, Dalton State College, Georgia)
pinned adult image plus US distribution map, adult description, habits, biology, flight season, larval and adult food, habitat (nearctica.com)
pinned adult image plus description, distribution, foodplants, biology, flight season, habits, remarks (CBIF)
common names of subspecies taken from SC-NABN (The International Lepidoptera Survey, The Taxonomic Report)
live photos of subspecies obsoleta, plus text account (Utah Lepidopterists Society)
type specimen of subspecies lahontani (phorid.net)
mimicry of Monarch and Queen by subspecies archippus and floridensis respectively (David Ritland, in The American Midland Naturalist, jstor.org)
mimicry; PDF doc of Soldier by Mexican subspecies hoffmanni (Ralph Chermock, in American Museum Novitates, AMNH)
type locality of subspecies watsoni, plus foodplants, synonyms, links, references (Markku Savela, FUNET) |
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