''Danaus erippus'', the southern monarch, is a milkweed butterfly ( subfamily

Danainae Danainae is a subfamily of the family Nymphalidae, the brush-footed butterflies. It includes the Daniadae, or milkweed butterflies, who lay their eggs on various milkweeds on which their larvae (caterpillars) feed, as well as the clearwing butt ...

) in the family

Nymphalidae The Nymphalidae are the largest family of butterflies, with more than 6,000 species distributed throughout most of the world. Belonging to the superfamily Papilionoidea, they are usually medium-sized to large butterflies. Most species have a red ...

. It is one of the best known butterflies in South America. Its genome is nearly identical to '' D. plexippus'', but the two are incompatible, and therefore considered separate species.

Description

Danaus erippus (Nymphalidae) (17569574558)

''Danaus erippus'' is included with other

, the largest

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

of butterflies with about 6000 species distributed throughout most of the world. It has a reduced pair of forelegs, is brightly coloured, and is included with popular species such as the

emperors An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother (empr ...

, admirals, tortoiseshells, and fritillaries. Its wingspan reaches about , with an easily recognizable orange and black pattern. Until 2007, this butterfly was treated as a subspecies of ''

Danaus plexippus The monarch butterfly or simply monarch (''Danaus plexippus'') is a milkweed butterfly (subfamily Danainae) in the family Nymphalidae. Other common names, depending on region, include milkweed, common tiger, wanderer, and black-veined brown. I ...

''. These species are very similar, but ''D. erippus'' usually has an orange trailing edge of the forewings, while in ''D. plexippus'' it is black. The lineages of the two species are thought to have separated about 2 million years ago. The colour of the wings in males of the southern monarch is paler than in the females.

Migration

Though, not as well known as the eastern North American monarch migratory phenomenon, it has been observed to move in a consistent spring/autumn manner by flying south in the autumn towards colder latitudes for the winter.Hayward, K.J. (1962). Migration of butterflies and a moth in Argentina, spring and summer 1960-61. ''The Entomologist'' 95:8-12. Massive overwintering roosts have not yet been found.

Larval food plants

''D. erippus'', like ''D. plexippus'', utilizes host plants that in the genus ''

Asclepias ''Asclepias'' is a genus of herbaceous, perennial, flowering plants known as milkweeds, named for their latex, a milky substance containing cardiac glycosides termed cardenolides, exuded where cells are damaged. Most species are toxic to humans ...

'' including '' A. barjoniifolia'', '' A. boliviensis'', and '' A. curassavica'', as well as some non-''Asclepias'' (e.g., '' Astephanus geminiflorus'', '' Cynanchum boerhaviifolium'', '' Cynanchum atacamense'', and '' Tweedia birostrata'').

Distribution

This species can be found in tropical and subtropical latitudes of South America, mainly in

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

, Bolivia,

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

, and southern

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

Gallery

File:Danaus erippus, female.jpg, Female File:Danaus erippus1.jpg, Underside File:DSCN2298w.jpg, Male File:Larva de mariposa monarca (Danaus erippus).jpg, Larva File:A união entre Abelhas e Borboletas.JPG

References

Southern Monarch
Biolib
"''Danaus'' Kluk, 1780"
at Markku Savela's ''Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms'' *Dockx, Cristina (2002)
Migration of the North American monarch ''Danaus plexippus'' to Cuba
PhD dissertation. University of Florida.

External links

National Geographic
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1308960 Danaus (butterfly) Nymphalidae of South America Lepidoptera of Argentina Lepidoptera of Brazil Lepidoptera of Chile Lepidoptera of Peru Invertebrates of Bolivia Invertebrates of Paraguay Insects of Uruguay Butterflies described in 1775 Taxa named by Pieter Cramer