Monarch vs Painted Lady Butterfly

[draetish]

Monarch Butterflies are toxic, Painted Lady Butterflies are not. Here's how similiar they look. Since butterflies are starting to appear, I thought it would be good to show the pics.

 

[Lizardlover]

You should also include viceroys to that mix, they are a non-toxic species that mimics the colors of a monarch.

 

[Yessabub]

That sux that monarchs are toxic i have them everywhere in the summer

 

[draetish]

Here is a Viceroy - thanks Danny! FYI the Viceroy has a horizontal black stripe across the back wing, the Monarch does not.

 

[Lizardlover]

No problem, good idea for a thread.

 

[morpheon]

Could you please add more information to the pictures? Like what are the basic differences between all three. How can i easily know if it's toxic or not, without being an expert? Being it physical, geographical, behavioral, or other.

Also, how toxic are they? What would happen to my chameleon is he ate one?

 

[Lizardlover]

Could you please add more information to the pictures? Like what are the basic differences between all three. How can i easily know if it's toxic or not, without being an expert? Being it physical, geographical, behavioral, or other.

Also, how toxic are they? What would happen to my chameleon is he ate one?

Monarch larvae are the ones you really need to look out for, brightly colored with stripes of green, yellow, white and black. Monarch butterflies are more bad tasting than toxic. So you chameleon would probably just spit it out. The hostplant of monarchs are milkweed and the host of painted lady are hollyhock or mallow. The hosts of viceroys can vay but I believe they will feed on hollyhock as well.

 

[draetish]

The first two pics are Monarch female and male and the last two are Painted Lady. You can google each one to learn more info on each. You can also do a search on "Butterfly" on the forum as there has been much discussed about them.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/search.php?searchid=823502

 

[katlovesaandw]

So, Karma could eat a couple of the 24 painted lady caterpillars we are raising into butterflies then once they transform?

They are from a butterfly farm in FL. and I have had them since they were tiny caterpillars and they are eating special caterpillar paste food. Once they emerge we are releasing them, weather pending.

But, since the daycare kids cant count that high.... we could put a few in her cage after hours...... they wouldnt know we were missing a couple.

Hmmmmm

 

[Lizardlover]

So, Karma could eat a couple of the 24 painted lady caterpillars we are raising into butterflies then once they transform?

They are from a butterfly farm in FL. and I have had them since they were tiny caterpillars and they are eating special caterpillar paste food. Once they emerge we are releasing them, weather pending.

But, since the daycare kids cant count that high.... we could put a few in her cage after hours...... they wouldnt know we were missing a couple.

Hmmmmm

The larvae have hairs on them that would probably cause irritation to your chameleon, and he would probably enjoy the butterflies a bit more too