Queen
Danaus gilippus (Cramer, 1776)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Danainae
Identification: Upperside is chestnut brown; black borders of forewings have 2 rows of white spots; white spots are scattered at the forewing apex. Underside of hindwing has black veins; black borders of both wings have 2 rows of white spots. Upperside of male hindwing has a black scale patch. Very similar to the Soldier (Danaus eresimus), but is more brown and has less defined wing veins on the upperside. Underside hindwing lacks band of pale spots present in the Soldier. Queens in the southwest (and sometimes in the southeast) have pale veins on the upperside of the hindwings, which are lacking in the Soldier.
Wing Span: 2 5/8 - 3 7/8 inches (6.7 - 9.8 cm).
Life History: To find females, males patrol all day. Females lay eggs singly on leaves, stems, and flower buds; which the caterpillars eat. Adults roost communally.
Flight: All year in Florida and South Texas, July-August in the north.
Caterpillar Hosts: Milkweeds and milkweed vines. Some of the milkweeds contain cardiac glycosides which are stored in the bodies of both the caterpillar and adult. These poisons are distasteful and emetic to birds and other vertebrate predators. After tasting a Queen, a predator might associate the bright warning colors of the adult or caterpillar with an unpleasant meal, and avoid Queens in the future.
Adult Food: Nectar from flowers including milkweeds, fogfruit, and shepherd's needle.
Habitat: Open, sunny areas including fields, deserts, roadsides, pastures, dunes, washes, and waterways.
Range: Resident in extreme southern United States south through tropical lowlands of the West Indies and Central America to Argentina. Regular stray and sometime colonist in the plains; rarely along Atlantic coastal plain to Massachusetts and the Great Plains. Comments: The Florida Viceroy (Limenitis archippus floridensis) is also inedible and mimics the Queen.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 1228 verified sightings
Observation date: Mar 19, 2019
Submitted by: gblkrum
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Mar 23, 2019
Observation date: Mar 22, 2019
Submitted by: GPete
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 22, 2019
Observation date: Feb 03, 2019
Submitted by: rogerashton
Region: Cameron County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Feb 22, 2019
Observation date: Feb 16, 2019
Submitted by: the janitors son
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 16, 2019
Observation date: Jan 01, 2019
Submitted by: katrohrer
Region: Lee County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 16, 2019
Observation date: Jan 28, 2019
Submitted by: hiker96
Region: Maricopa County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Jan 29, 2019
Observation date: Nov 06, 2018
Submitted by: hydapse
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 27, 2019
Observation date: Jan 20, 2019
Submitted by: Andra Doherty
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Jan 21, 2019
Observation date: Jan 01, 2019
Submitted by: dbrudin
Region: Palm Beach County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 07, 2019
Observation date: Nov 20, 2017
Submitted by: storolaf
Region: Cameron County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Dec 17, 2018
Observation date: Dec 02, 2018
Submitted by: loyallonghorn
Region: Texas, Travis County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Dec 12, 2018
Observation date: Nov 04, 2018
Submitted by: loyallonghorn
Region: Fort Bend County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 21, 2018
Observation date: Nov 04, 2018
Submitted by: loyallonghorn
Region: Fort Bend County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 20, 2018
Observation date: Nov 19, 2018
Submitted by: Lou Visconti
Region: Collier County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 20, 2018
Observation date: Nov 04, 2018
Submitted by: loyallonghorn
Region: Fort Bend County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 20, 2018
Observation date: Nov 04, 2018
Submitted by: loyallonghorn
Region: Fort Bend County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 20, 2018
Observation date: Nov 04, 2018
Submitted by: loyallonghorn
Region: Fort Bend County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 20, 2018
Observation date: Nov 04, 2018
Submitted by: loyallonghorn
Region: Fort Bend County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 20, 2018
Observation date: Nov 15, 2018
Submitted by: marley
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 16, 2018
Observation date: Nov 03, 2018
Submitted by: Bonnie Morrison
Region: Howard County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 15, 2018
Observation date: Nov 06, 2018
Submitted by: Boomertog
Region: Denton County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 13, 2018
Observation date: Oct 02, 2014
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Okeechobee County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 13, 2018
Observation date: Nov 08, 2018
Submitted by: Englishman
Region: Hernando County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 09, 2018
Observation date: Oct 30, 2018
Submitted by: Jessica646
Region: Denton County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 31, 2018
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