Danaus eresimus
| Soldier | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Danaus |
| Species: | D. eresimus |
| Binomial name | |
| Danaus eresimus (Cramer, 1777) |
|
The Soldier or Tropical Queen, (Danaus eresimus), is a North and South American butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. Their flight is slow and they are reasonably easy to approach, but will fly for some distance if approached too closely.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Description
The upper side of the wings is dark reddish-brown with the fore wing sometimes having white submarginal spots.[2] The veins are lightly marked with black. Males have a black scent patch on each of the hind wings. The underside of the wings is also dark brown with a postmedian band made up of squarish spots.[1] The Soldier has a wingspan of 2½ to 3½ inches.[3]
[edit] Similar species
Similar species in the Soldier's range include the Monarch (Danaus plexippus) and the Queen (Danaus gilippus).
The Monarch is more orange, has heavier black-lined veins, and the underside of the wings is a pale yellowish color.[1][4]
The Queen has nearly no black marked veins, and has white fore wing submarginal spots on both surfaces of the wings.[4]
[edit] Habitat
The Soldier may be found in a variety of open, subtropical habitats such as citrus groves, weedy water edges where host plants occur, dry fields, etc.[1] and in New Mexico.
[edit] Flight
This butterfly my be encountered from February to December in southern Florida (it is most common in October to December), and from August to January in southern Texas.[1][5]
[edit] Life cycle
Males patrol for females.[1] The eggs are bright orange. The black larva is banded with white and yellow stripes. It has a subdorsal row of yellowish-tan spots. There are six black, fleshy filaments, the first pair near the head, the second on the thorax, and the third at the end of the abdomen.[5] The chrysalis is very similar to that of the Monarch, often indistinguishable. It has 3 or more broods per year.[4]
[edit] Host plants
Here is a list of host plants used by the Soldier:
- Strangler Vine, Morrenia odorata
- White Vine, Sarcostema clausa
- West Indian Pinkroot, Spigelia anthelmia[1][5]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g Rick Cech and Guy Tudor (2005). Butterflies of the East Coast. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. ISBN 0-691-09055-6
- ^ Butterflies and Moths Additional Soldier Images
- ^ Bob Stewart, Priscilla Brodkin and Hank Brodkin (2001). Butterflies of Arizona. West Coast Lady Press. ISBN 0-9663072-1-6
- ^ a b c Jim P. Brock and Kenn Kaufman (2003). Butterflies of North America. Houghton Mifflin, New York, NY. ISBN 0-618-15312-8
- ^ a b c James A. Scott (1986). The Butterflies of North America. Stanford University Press, Stanford, CA. ISBN 0-8047-2013-4
