Danaus eresimus
Encyclopedia
The Soldier or Tropical Queen, (Danaus eresimus), is a North
and South America
n 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.
The Monarch is more orange, has heavier black-lined veins, and the underside of the wings is a pale yellowish color.
The Queen has nearly no black marked veins, and has white fore wing submarginal spots on both surfaces of the wings.
(it is most common in October to December), and from August to January in southern Texas
.
s 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. The chrysalis is very similar to that of the Monarch, often indistinguishable. It has 3 or more brood
s per year.
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
n butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
in the family Nymphalidae
Nymphalidae
The Nymphalidae is a family of about 5,000 species of butterflies which are distributed throughout most of the world. These are usually medium sized to large butterflies. Most species have a reduced pair of forelegs and many hold their colourful wings flat when resting. They are also called...
. Their flight is slow and they are reasonably easy to approach, but will fly for some distance if approached too closely.
Description
The upper side of the wings is dark reddish-brown with the fore wing sometimes having white submarginal spots. 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. The Soldier has a wingspan of 2½ to 3½ inches.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.
The Queen has nearly no black marked veins, and has white fore wing submarginal spots on both surfaces of the wings.
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. and in New Mexico.Flight
This butterfly my be encountered from February to December in southern FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
(it is most common in October to December), and from August to January in southern Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Life cycle
Males patrol for females. The eggEgg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
s are bright orange. The black larva
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
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. The chrysalis is very similar to that of the Monarch, often indistinguishable. It has 3 or more brood
Offspring
In biology, offspring is the product of reproduction, of a new organism produced by one or more parents.Collective offspring may be known as a brood or progeny in a more general way...
s per year.
Host plants
Here is a list of host plants used by the Soldier:- Strangler Vine, Morrenia odorataMorrenia odorataMorrenia odorata is an ornamental plant in the Apocynaceae family, which is native to Brazil. This plant is cited in Flora Brasiliensis by Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius.-External links:**...
- White Vine, Sarcostema clausa
- West Indian Pinkroot, Spigelia anthelmia