Monarch Mimic

No, the butterfly pictured is not a Monarch even though it is often mistaken for one. This is the Viceroy. The Viceroy is smaller than the Monarch, flies with less powerful wingbeats, and has a distinguishing black postmedian band on the hindwing as shown in the pictures. Because they closely resemble each other, the Vicerory is a mimic of the Monarch and birds will avoid the palatable Viceroy because they think it is the distasteful Monarch. The next time you see a butterfly you think is a Monarch check closely - it may be a Viceroy. You could also taste the butterfly to see if it is bitter, but we don't recommend it.