Viceroy

Orange and black and famous for its resemblance to the monarch, the viceroy is told apart by a black line crossing each hindwing. Once thought a harmless mimic, it is now known to be distasteful in its own right.

It is a butterfly of wet meadows, streamsides, and marsh edges, where its willow and poplar hosts grow. Adults nectar on asters, goldenrods, and other flowers.

Caterpillars, which also mimic bird droppings, feed on willows and poplars and overwinter as young larvae rolled in a leaf.