Attributes of Limenitis archippus
Viceroy
Limenitis archippus (Cramer, 1776)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Limenitidinae
Identification: Upperside is orange and black, resembling the Monarch (Danaus plexippus), except the Viceroy has a black line across the hindwing and a single row of white dots in the black marginal band. Where Monarchs are rare in Florida, Georgia, and the Southwest, Viceroys are brown instead of orange and mimic the Queen (Danaus gilippus).
Wing Span: 2 1/2 - 3 3/8 inches (6.3 - 8.6 cm).
Life History: During most of the day, males perch on vegetation or patrol around the host plants to find females. Females lay eggs at the tip of host plant leaves, depositing only two or three eggs on a plant before moving to another. Caterpillars eat their eggshells after they hatch, then at night feed on catkins and leaves. Young caterpillars make a ball of leaf bits, dung, and silk which hangs off the leaf on which they are feeding; the dangling mass may distract predators. Third-stage caterpillars make a shelter from a rolled leaf tip in which to spend the winter. The Viceroy is a Mullerian mimic of the Monarch, and it is also distasteful.
Flight: Two to three broods from May-September in most of its range, all year in Florida.
Caterpillar Hosts: Trees in the willow family (Salicaceae) including willows (Salix), and poplars and cottonwoods (Populus).
Adult Food: Early in the season when few flowers are available Viceroys feed on aphid honeydew, carrion, dung, and decaying fungi. Later generations feed more often at flowers, favoring composites including aster, goldenrod, joe-pye weed, shepherd's needle, and Canada thistle.
Habitat: Moist open or shrubby areas such as lake and swamp edges, willow thickets, valley bottoms, wet meadows, and roadsides.
Range: Northwest Territories south along the eastern edges of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountains to central Mexico, east through all the eastern United States.
Conservation: The Obsolete Viceroy (subspecies obsoleta) has lost much of its habitat due to development, water impoundment, and the exotic aggressive saltcedar.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: Restore riparian habitats in the Southwest. Conserve extant habitats.
Taxonomy Notes:
Images of Limenitis archippus
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The map below displays all verified sighting records in the BAMONA database for this species. Each record is indicated with a yellow dot. The orange dots on the map provide access to information about the 200 most recently verified sightings of this species. In some instances, there are several records at the same location. Use the table view to access these records.
Instructions: Click on the map and move your mouse to pan.
Zoom by using the plus [+] and minus [-] on the left side of the map.
To change which map layers are displayed, click on the plus sign [+] on the right side of the map.
The fifty most recently verified sightings are below. See more recently verified sightings of all species.
| Observation Date | Submitter | Region |
Verified Date |
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May 05, 2012 | jftrahan | St Martin Parish, Louisiana, United States | May 16, 2012 | Details |
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May 12, 2012 | kiki | Hillsborough County, Florida, United States | May 14, 2012 | Details |
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June 04, 2011 | cobal2913 | Fairfield County, Ohio, United States | May 07, 2012 | Details |
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August 25, 2009 | Chip Krilowicz | Burlington County, New Jersey, United States | April 15, 2012 | Details |
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July 21, 2011 | Rick Henle | Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States | April 02, 2012 | Details |
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October 02, 2011 | pcastrovillo | Canyon County, Idaho, United States | January 29, 2012 | Details |
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August 29, 2010 | BOGwalker | St Louis County, Minnesota, United States | January 25, 2012 | Details |
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August 06, 2011 | khemeon | Bennington County, Vermont, United States | December 23, 2011 | Details |
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October 19, 2003 | cyric | Leon County, Florida, United States | December 14, 2011 | Details |
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August 30, 2011 | Kyle Jones | Windsor County, Vermont, United States | December 12, 2011 | Details |
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August 30, 2010 | rdhealy1951 | Hardin County, Kentucky, United States | November 30, 2011 | Details |
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August 24, 2010 | Tommie Rogers | Marion County, Tennessee, United States | November 22, 2011 | Details |
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September 19, 2011 | Sam Ekker | Pasco County, Florida, United States | October 27, 2011 | Details |
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October 05, 2011 | kiki | Hillsborough County, Florida, United States | October 27, 2011 | Details |
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October 22, 2011 | kiki | Hillsborough County, Florida, United States | October 27, 2011 | Details |
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October 13, 2011 | jwunder3 | Orange County, Florida, United States | October 27, 2011 | Details |
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September 04, 2011 | housren | Monroe County, New York, United States | October 26, 2011 | Details |
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October 05, 2011 | elinpierce | Shelby County, Tennessee, United States | October 16, 2011 | Details |
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October 07, 2011 | Doug Bruce | Perry County, Tennessee, United States | October 09, 2011 | Details |
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September 25, 2011 | jftrahan | St Landry Parish, Louisiana, United States | October 08, 2011 | Details |
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September 17, 2010 | RaisingButterflies.org | Yavapai County, Arizona, United States | October 03, 2011 | Details |
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September 02, 2011 | plex1ppus | Prince William County, Virginia, United States | September 22, 2011 | Details |
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July 29, 2003 | rseidler | East Carroll Parish, Louisiana, United States | September 19, 2011 | Details |
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September 12, 2011 | Lstegall | Peoria County, Illinois, United States | September 19, 2011 | Details |
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September 16, 2011 | KarenL | Williamson County, Tennessee, United States | September 17, 2011 | Details |
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August 04, 2011 | mslaryssa | Douglas County, Nebraska, United States | September 15, 2011 | Details |
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September 15, 2011 | Bill_in_PEI | Prince Edward Island, Canada | September 15, 2011 | Details |
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September 02, 2011 | JohnF | Penobscot County, Maine, United States | September 06, 2011 | Details |
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July 31, 2011 | damselflies | Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States | September 03, 2011 | Details |
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September 01, 2011 | Randy L Anderson | Henderson County, Illinois, United States | September 02, 2011 | Details |
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July 17, 2011 | mudder01 | Washtenaw County, Michigan, United States | September 01, 2011 | Details |
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July 26, 2011 | Gryphlets | Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States | August 29, 2011 | Details |
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August 27, 2011 | jim8435wisc | Clark County, Wisconsin, United States | August 29, 2011 | Details |
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August 27, 2011 | KarenL | Williamson County, Tennessee, United States | August 27, 2011 | Details |
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August 26, 2011 | treehugger_007 | Lake County, Ohio, United States | August 26, 2011 | Details |
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July 16, 2011 | beckym06451 | New Haven County, Connecticut, United States | August 23, 2011 | Details |
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August 22, 2011 | Glennie | Ontario, Canada | August 22, 2011 | Details |
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August 21, 2011 | jim8435wisc | Calumet County, Wisconsin, United States | August 22, 2011 | Details |
| August 20, 2011 | Jo Roy | Livingston County, New York, United States | August 20, 2011 | Details | |
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July 17, 2011 | dennis kiefer | Cook County, Illinois, United States | August 18, 2011 | Details |
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August 15, 2011 | MarengoJace | McHenry County, Illinois, United States | August 18, 2011 | Details |
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August 14, 2011 | Doug Bruce | Giles County, Tennessee, United States | August 15, 2011 | Details |
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August 14, 2011 | BeaLaporte | Ontario, Canada | August 15, 2011 | Details |
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August 06, 2011 | jim8435wisc | Monroe County, Wisconsin, United States | August 13, 2011 | Details |
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August 10, 2011 | Chris Hayes | Rice County, Minnesota, United States | August 13, 2011 | Details |
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November 12, 2006 | Olga_H | Okeechobee County, Florida, United States | August 11, 2011 | Details |
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November 17, 2006 | Olga_H | Okeechobee County, Florida, United States | August 11, 2011 | Details |
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July 08, 2011 | dendroica5 | Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States | August 09, 2011 | Details |
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July 26, 2011 | Terri Christy | Lucas County, Ohio, United States | August 09, 2011 | Details |
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June 04, 2011 | Axarus | Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States | August 08, 2011 | Details |
