Viceroy butterfly
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| Viceroy butterfly |
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| Scientific Classification |
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| Binomial Name |
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Limenitis archippus |
| Image Description |
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Contents |
Introduction
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Anatomy
The viceroy butterfly possesses orange wings (two fore and hind wings) with black veins and white spots edging the wings. In each segment of both wings, there are also white specks in the outer black border. They mimic the monarch butterfly, however, they can be distinguished by a black stripe that runs horizontally in their hind wings. The undersides of the viceroy’s wings are fairly comparable to the uppermost side while the Monarch’s underside is much paler. The viceroy has a plenty of wing power, having a wingspan ranging from 2.75 to 3 inches (7 to 7.5 cm). They engage in several characteristics as the other animals in class insecta, that the viceroy has three pairs of walking legs, their body is separated into three segments: head, thorax, abdomen, and they own one pair of antennae. Its segmented exoskeleton is black and fuzzy with slender and feathery antennae on top of the head. When it is in flight, its wings are completely stretched out while the Monarch’s are at a definite angle. Thus, it is easy to make a distinction between them in flight. This invertebrate is ectothermic, meaning that they have body temperature that varies with the environment and they exhibit bilateral symmetry. Bilateral symmetry is when an organism or a body part, along a central axis can be divided into equivalent right and left halves by only one plane.
Digestion
In adult butterflies, there is a tube-like organ that siphons off liquid called proboscis. The food is then carried into the thorax, and into the abdomen. Their body is also capable of storing the food particle in the crop until it is required. Lastly, the nutrients are broken down in the midgut, absorbed by blood or stored as fat. The residuals are delivered into the hindgut and rectum.
Respiration
In larval and adult stages, butterflies have spiracles on the abdomen. Spiracles are small pores that function in breathing. Addition to the spiracles, they enjoy their respiratory system with tracheae that transports oxygen throughout the body without using circulatory system.
Sensory/Irritability
Groups of nerve cells develop into ganglia. In the brain, one of the ganglias connects to a nerve cord that runs in length. In the thorax, there are two extra ganglia and four in the abdomen. Smaller nerve cells extend throughout the body, where they organize motion, circulation, digestion, and reproduction. The antennae, consisting of over 16000 olfactory sensors (sense of smell), can also detect sexual pheromones, and location of the nectar. Furthermore, the antennae allow them to communicate physically and chemically, and for their courtship. They observe with compound eyes (contain thousands of individual lenses, up to 17000 ommatidia). Though some insects have the ability to hear, butterflies are deaf as most of the insects. Antenna dipping is a common way used by butterflies in which they gently dab the tips of their antennae onto soil or leaves to check its chemical qualities. This method is enjoyed by males frequently to verify whether the soil or the leave has vital nutrients (usually to swallow mineralized moisture to absorb sodium. Females practice the same skill to confirm if the plant is favorable for egg-laying. The Johnston’s organ is placed at the base of antennae that is responsible for their balance and orientation, especially during flight. Moreover, on each side of the proboscis are labial palps. These palps are sensitive to pheromones, chemicals, and some possibilities of ensuring if something is food or not.
Circulation
Butterflies, like insects do not attain closed circulatory system, rather, open circulatory. However, they manage circulatory system throughout the entire body with a long tubular organ called tubular heart that progresses the blood wholly. Instead of red pigmented blood, they prefer clear, yellowish fluid called hemolymph that flow over within the body cavity.
Excretion
Malpoghian tubes that float in their body and eliminate waste from the blood and as well as transferring the waste to the digestive system (midgut and hindgut) is the main excretory organs. After that, the waste is removed through the anus. The main waste product is uric acid, which disposes of nitrogenous wastes.
Reproduction
Viceroy butterfly accomplishes complete metamorphosis, involving four stages of egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Mating regularly occurs in spring. During most of the day, males settle on vegetation or patrol around the host plants (cottonwood, etc) to find females. This insect achieves fertilization in the afternoon. The female deposits nearly three pale green to yellow-colored oval eggs per sapling (an obvious method of assuring the maximum survival of her offspring) mostly onto the tip of a willow tree, poplars or cottonwood leaves (rarely lay eggs on plums, apples, and cherries) and interestingly selects only leaves that have not been harmed by other insects. They approximately reproduce three generations per year. Predators typically undergo hard time finding the eggs. As the caterpillar appears, it eats its eggshells. Afterward it feeds on willow, cottonwood, or poplar leaves at night. The precise camouflage can additionally be observed in caterpillars; they are brownish or olive green with a white spot on the back, imitating bird’s droppings, that provides them protection from predators. They also possess branched, spiny tubercles that are similar to antennae on the head. During winter, caterpillars wrap themselves within a leaf fastened with silk for winter protection and camouflage. The caterpillar becomes active again in spring, then turning into a pupa, chrysalis. The chrysalises are brownish with silver or cream color. It is again possible for predators to mistake the chrysalis for bird droppings. As soon as the young adult viceroy emerges from the chrysalis and its wings dry, they seek food, such as nectar of butterfly bush, asters, goldenrods, overripe fruit, and sap, aphid honeydew, carrion dung, decaying fruit and fungi, etc. The adults fly from May to October, but all year in Florida.
Ecology
Other
Gallery
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References
- Species Limenitis archippus - Viceroy Troy Bartlett, Iowa State University Entomology, 16 February, 2004.
- reference title author, publisher, date.
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External Link
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