MILKWEED BUTTERFLY

any of a group of butterflies considered by some authorities as the family Danaidae (order Lepidoptera) and by others as the subfamily Danainae of the brush-footed butterfly (q.v.) family Nymphalidae. The best known are species such as the monarch butterfly (q.v.) and queen butterfly. Although the majority of species are found in the tropics of both the Old World and the New, some well-known members live in temperate regions. The large, colourful adults have long, usually brownish wings marked by black-and-white patterns. The first pair of legs is small and not used for walking. They fly slowly and deliberately, and some, such as the monarch butterfly, migrate great distances. The larvae are often brightly banded or striped, with two to four pairs of fleshy projections protruding from the body. They feed chiefly on milkweed and sometimes on nightshade; these plants contain acrid, milky juices that probably make the larva and its subsequent stages distasteful to predators. This, combined with a conspicuous coloration, protects them. Many other butterflies benefit from this protection through mimicry.