Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Butterflies and Skippers (Papilionoidea) » Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae) » Milkweed Butterflies & Glasswings (Danainae) » Milkweed Butterflies (Danaini) » Danaus » Queen - Hodges#4615 (Danaus gilippus)
Photo#157126
Queen Butterfly - Danaus gilippus - male - female
Copyright © 2007 Melissa

Queen Butterfly - Danaus gilippus - Male Female
Maricopa County, Arizona, USA
October 31, 2007
Contributed by Melissa on 16 November, 2007 - 10:08pm
Last updated 27 February, 2012 - 10:20am

boy and girls
This is a good comparison shot, so for anyone curious, I thought that I'd add that the top one is a male, and the lower two are females. The easiest way to tell is the black spot of androconia (hormone/scent producing scales) near the body on the hind wing on the male (not on females).
… David J. Ferguson, 23 September, 2008 - 11:47am

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2025 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by:

Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology at Iowa State University logo