African Monarch (Danaus chrysippus) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

The African monarch, or plain tiger, is an orange Old World relative of the monarch that ranges across Africa, southern Asia, parts of Australia, and the Mediterranean; it isn't found in the wild in the United States. Its caterpillars eat milkweeds and store their toxins, and many other butterflies have evolved to mimic it.

Appearance

Appearance: Wingspan about 2.75–3 in (7–8 cm). The wings are brownish orange with a black forewing tip crossed by a white band and a few black spots on the hindwing. The body is black with white dots.

Look-alikes

QueenDanaus gilippus

The queen is darker chestnut brown with black borders and only small white spots on the forewing; it lacks the plain tiger's broad black wingtip with a white band.

Why they get mixed upBoth are orange-brown milkweed butterflies with white-spotted black bodies.

MonarchDanaus plexippus

The monarch has bold black lines along every wing vein; the plain tiger's wings are plain orange with no black vein stripes.

Why they get mixed upClose relatives with similar orange-and-black coloring.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: Dry open country
Gardens
Grasslands
Range: Africa, the Indian subcontinent and much of Asia, parts of Australia, and the Mediterranean region. It is not part of the U.S. butterfly fauna in the wild, but it is shown in U.S. butterfly exhibits, such as the Florida Museum of Natural History's, which stock butterflies raised on farms.
Preferred conditions: Prefers dry, open places from sea level to about 4,900 ft (1,500 m), including deserts, open woodland, and gardens.

Behavior

Activity: A slow, unhurried flier.

Life cycle

Larva: Depending on temperature, eggs hatch in 3–5 days; caterpillars feed for 12–20 days and the chrysalis stage lasts 9–15 days.
Caterpillar food plants: Mainly milkweeds, including Asclepias, Calotropis, Gomphocarpus, and Cynanchum.

Cautions

Cautions: Caterpillars store toxins from their milkweed food plants, which makes adults distasteful to birds and other predators.

Name and classification

About the name: It is also called the African queen. It is split into several regional , and some recent work treats the dorippus tiger, once a subspecies, as its own species.