October 27th, 2010
Queen Butterfly

Queen butterfly

Are butterflies like sergeants? the more stripes they have the higher their rank? From the top, to me this Queen butterfly looks like a Monarch stripped of its black veining. Both were all over the white mistflower, Eupatorium wrightii, with a score of other smaller butterflies and many bees.

Queen butterfly

by M Sinclair Stevens

4 Responses to post “Queen Butterfly”

  1. From Dorothy/Gardening with Nature:

    It seems to be a bumper year for Queens – at least in my yard. I have more than ever before. Maybe Mother Nature is compensating me for my lack of Monarchs this fall.

    What plants do have to attract them? Today I had three Monarchs and this one Queen. One Monarch looked quite old and ragged and was missing part of its lower right wing. Despite growing milkweed, I don’t usually get very many Monarchs or Queens in my garden. My most frequent visitors are Swallowtails. — mss

  2. From Annie in Austin:

    Beautiful, MSS! My white mistflower opened a few flowers this afternoon, but the plant was in shade & there were no butterflies on it – hope they come tomorrow.

    I knew the Monarchs & Queens were related and similar, but while searching for comparison photos found out there’s a Soldier butterfly in the same Danainae/Milkweed butterfly family, just to keep things confused. So the sergeant will be able to pull rank.

    Annie at the Transplantable Rose

    It’s taken about a week from the first bud opening until today for it to be in full bloom and for the larger butterflies to appear. It was distractingly beautiful today. I was wondering how much shade the mistflower can take? (Mine’s in a half shady spot now.) I have lots of shady neglected spots that it would be lovely in, if it would bloom there. — mss

  3. From Ryan in Georgetown:

    I just planted a Gregg’s mistflower for the first time this year and have had a great deal of queens from June through mid August and again during most of October. It has not been uncommon for me to see 4 or 5 on the plant. I don’t have any milkweeds, though I assume there must be one around to be the host plant.

  4. From Linda Lehmusvirta Austin Texas:

    I simply must find a place for white mistflower! I have tons of the lavender ones in all renditions. But this year was very slow on Queens and Monarchs that normally flock my plants. Very interesting.