Milkweed butterfly

For the mythological fifty daughters of Danaus, see Danaides.

Milkweed butterflies
Three Milkweed butterflies
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
(unranked):	Rhopalocera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Subfamily:	Danainae
Tribes
Danaini Tellervini Ithomiini but see text.
Synonyms
Danaidae

Milkweed butterflies are a subfamily, Danainae, in the family Nymphalidae, or brush-footed butterflies. They lay their eggs on various milkweeds on which their larvae (caterpillars) feed. Historically, this group had been considered a separate family, Danaidae, and the tribes placed herein were sometimes considered distinct subfamilies in the Nymphalidae.

There are some 300 species of Danainae worldwide. Most of the Danaini are found in tropical Asia and Africa, while the Ithomiini are diverse in the Neotropics. Tellervini are restricted to Australia and the Oriental region. Four species are found in North America: the Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus); the Queen (Danaus gilippus); the Tropical Milkweed Butterfly (Lycorea cleobaea); and the Soldier Butterfly (or "Tropic Queen"; Danaus eresimus).

The best known member of this family is the Monarch butterfly. The larvae and the butterflies retain poisonous glycosides from their larval host plant, the milkweed, so they become distasteful to potential predators. These milkweed butterflies (Monarch, Queen, Soldier) eat only milkweeds (Asclepias) as larvae. This highly effective defense strategy shields them against almost all predators that soon learn to avoid these species after attempting to eat them.

Another member known especially for its presence in butterfly greenhouses and live butterfly expositions is the Southeast Asian Idea leuconoe.

Characteristics

Some authors classify this family as a subfamily of Nymphalidae. Many other authors accept the traditional classification of Danaidae as a separate family. This separation is based on similarity of early stages, similar habits and poisonous nature.

Features include:

1. Small to large size butterflies. Most are not brightly coloured
2. Forelegs modified in to brushes and are not suited for walking
3. Sex marks appear on the wings of most males, either as patches on the hindwing or one or two brands on the forewing or with sex brand patches on either fore or hind wing. In some Euploea males the dorsum of forewing bowed and in females it is straight
4. Most Danaidae males have one or two pairs of anal hairs or pencils
5. Most of the members are model of 'mimetic' butterfly species of other families.
6. Danaids are poisonous and left alone by birds and other natural predators.
7. Danaids are extremely tough and hard to kill
8. Take part in migration
9. Food plants belongs to Asclepiadaceae, Apocynaceae, and Moraceae.^[1]

Threats

Numerous wasps are parasitoids of milkweed butterfly caterpillars.

The extensive modification of landscapes in the United States and Canada, with the removal of roadside weeds that are butterfly host plants and the large-scale use of pesticides, and increased deforestation in Mexico, threatens the migratory Monarch butterfly.

References

1. ^ Aluthwattha R.G.S.T. (2009) http://www.butterfliesandmoths.net/Family_Danaidae.html^{[dead link]}

External links

• Milkweed Butterfly large format closeup photographs Cirrus Digital Imaging
• Danaid^{[dead link]}
• Danainae
• Highway shut for butterfly travel

This Danainae article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.v · Categories: Nymphalidae Danainae Danainae stubs Wikimedia Foundation. 2010. Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную? Cat Stevens The Raven Look at other dictionaries: milkweed butterfly — noun large migratory American butterfly having deep orange wings with black and white markings; the larvae feed on milkweed • Syn: ↑monarch, ↑monarch butterfly, ↑Danaus plexippus • Hypernyms: ↑danaid, ↑danaid butterfly • Member Holonym …   Useful english dictionary milkweed butterfly — monarch butterfly mon arch but ter*fly, n. (Zo[ o]l.) A very large red and black butterfly ({Danais Plexippus}) having striking orange brown wings with black veins in a reticulated pattern; called also {milkweed butterfly} and {monarch}. Its… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English milkweed butterfly — Monarch Mon arch, n. [F. monarque, L. monarcha, fr. Gr. ?, ?; mo nos alone + ? to be first, rule, govern. See {Archi }.] 1. A sole or supreme ruler; a sovereign; the highest ruler; an emperor, king, queen, prince, or chief. [1913 Webster] He who… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English milkweed butterfly — See monarch butterfly. [1875 80, Amer.] * * * ▪ insect group       any of a group of butterflies in the brush footed butterfly (q.v.) family, Nymphalidae (order Lepidoptera). Some authorities consider this group to be at the family level… …   Universalium milkweed butterfly — noun Date: 1880 any of a family (Danaidae) or nymphalid subfamily (Danaine) of large butterflies feeding on plants of the milkweed family as larvae; especially monarch butterfly …   New Collegiate Dictionary milkweed — noun 1》 a herbaceous American plant with milky sap. [Genus Asclepias.] 2》 (also milkweed butterfly) another term for monarch (in sense 2) …   English new terms dictionary Butterfly gardening — is a growing school of gardening, specifically wildlife gardening, that is aimed at creating an environment that attracts butterflies, as well as certain moths, such as those in the Hemaris genus. Butterfly gardening is often aimed at inviting… …   Wikipedia Milkweed — Milk weed , n. (Bot.) Any plant of the genera {Asclepias} and {Acerates}, abounding in a milky juice, and having its seed attached to a long silky down; silkweed. The name is also applied to several other plants with a milky juice, as to several… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English butterfly weed — wēd n an orange flowered milkweed of the genus Asclepias (A. tuberosa) of eastern No. America that is a source of asclepias called also pleurisy root …   Medical dictionary butterfly weed — ☆ butterfly weed n. a North American wildflower (Asclepias tuberosa) of the milkweed family, with orange flowers …   English World dictionary 18+ © Academic, 2000-2024 Contact us: Technical Support, Advertising Dictionaries export, created on PHP, Joomla, Drupal, WordPress, MODx. Mark and share Search through all dictionaries Translate… Search Internet Share the article and excerpts Direct link … Do a right-click on the link above and select “Copy Link”