Many have probably heard of the monarch butterfly, known for its beautiful black and orange colors. However, there’s another type of butterfly, the Queen, that looks similar to the monarch, but gets mentioned less frequently. So, how can you tell the two apart? The Queen butterfly has more of a burnt orange color and fewer black bars. This butterfly also has white spots on its hind wings. However, when they’re still caterpillars, monarch and queen butterflies look extremely similar.
The Queen likes to feed on nectar from flowers, including milkweeds, fogfruit, and shepherd’s needle. These butterflies can be spotted in a variety of habitats including deserts, pastures, dunes, waterways, and open sunny fields. The Queen was recently spotted at the Houston Arboretum feeding on a striking purple mistflower.
Kelsey Low of Houston Arboretum shares more
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“The Monarch butterfly is just part of a whole royal family. The Queen is less commonly recognized by humans, but no less regal. This one is enjoying a taste of mistflower nectar as it basks in the fall sunshine – a treat truly fit for a Queen!”
